Hidden Sparrow's Destiny
by SkiesOfAmethyst
Summary: At the end of leaf bare, a mourning queen finds comfort in a lost kit. Moons later, she's haunted by recurring nightmares of a coldness spreading down her limbs, seizing her ability to breathe. When some cats begin to come down with a mysterious illness that seems chillingly familiar, it is up to her to find the meaning behind a darkness cold enough to light the sky with stars.
1. Chapter 1

_Alright friends, it's been awhile since I've done any sort of roleplay or fanfic so here goes._

_This takes place at the lakeside territories in ShadowClan, partially because ShadowClan is regularly perceived to be the "evil" Clan and I wanted to write a different take on it, and also because I kind of like the pine woods setting better._

_I also decided to have my leader be Jaystar, in honor of Jayfeather, who is quite obviously not blind in this story. He may be a little out of character but I've always respected Jayfeather so I think he'd make a good, sensible leader, and I'll try my best to write him properly._

_**I will be updating the "Cats of the Clans" bit as time goes on. It will be updated to Chapter 10, so if you don't want spoilers based off of warrior names or other stuff, you might wanna skip over that bit.** The cats you need to know about for the first few chapters are Hidingkit, Sparrowkit, Fawnspring, Emberfall, and Jaystar. They have brief descriptions in the text so you don't necessarily need to look at the Cats Of The Clans, unless if you want to._

_It's hard to think of so many cats (and names! I don't know how Erin Hunter does it!) so if you have a character you'd like to make an appearance in any of the clans (especially WindClan or ThunderClan for the sequel) let me know in the comments section!_

_Image credit goes to Apofiss of deviantart. Their artwork is amazing so please check it out!_

* * *

Cats of the Clans

**ShadowClan**

**Leader- **

Jaystar- A grey tabby tom with striking blue eyes

**Deputy-**

Webpelt- A white tom with uneven black stripes

**Medicine Cat-**

Halfmoon- White she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors-**

Eagletail- A tom with thick black fur, a long, white tail, and yellow eyes

Runningleaf- Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Emberfall-Long haired black tom cat with fur that fades to a deep brown closer to his tail

Fawnspring- brown and white tabby she-cat with ginger splotches

Quicktuft- A light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Blizzardburst- Grey-blue tom with blue eyes, white tipped muzzle and paws

Dawnfeather-A gentle, peach colored she-cat with brown eyes

Breezeheart- a long haired tom cat with creamy brown fur and amber eyes

Heathershade- Brown, fluffy she-cat with green eyes

Littlemoon- Small white she-cat with bright green eyes

Nettlefire- Light grey tom with long pointed, disheveled fur

Grassdaze- Black she-cat with striking green eyes

**Queens-**

Raydawn- golden she-cat with green eyes, white paws, and a white muzzle. (Mother of Sunnykit, a golden colored she-kit with green eyes, white paws; Butterflykit, Grey-blue she-kit with silver tipped ears and paws, and light brown eyes; Wildkit, dark grey tom with green eyes with white tipped ears, belly, muzzle, and paws.)

**Apprentices-**

Sparrowpaw- White tom with tabby spots (Apprentice to Heathershade)

Hidingpaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat with a peach colored hind leg and a crooked, stubby tail (Apprentice to Webpelt)

Ravenpaw- Black tabby she-cat with a lighter tipped nose and markings around her face (Apprentice to Fawnspring)

Rainpaw- Dark grey tabby she-cat (Apprentice to Quicktuft)

**Elders-**

Yellowtail- Yellow colored tom cat

Cedarblaze- She-cat with short ginger fur and hazel eyes

**RiverClan**

**Leader-**

Otterstar- Dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy-**

Whorlmist- Grey and white she-cat with distinctive stripes

**Medicine Cat-**

Cricketleap- brown tabby she-cat

**Warriors-**

Marshstripe- She cat with thick black fur, a white stripe on her belly, and blue eyes

Snailfoot- Ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Ripplefall- White and tabby she-cat

**Kits-**

Fidgetkit

Hopekit

Smokekit

**ThunderClan**

**Leader-**

Robinstar- Dark colored tom cat with reddish brown belly

**Deputy-**

Pondfeather- She-cat with long silver fur and blue eyes

**Warriors-**

Flashfang- Short, dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Sagefrost- White she-cat with one blue eye and one brown eye; deaf on the side of the blue eye.

**Apprentices-**

Whisperpaw- black tom cat with green eyes

Cedarpaw- White and black she-cat with yellow eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader-**

Driftstar- Grey, fluffy she-cat with white belly, muzzle, and paws.

**Deputy-**

Briareyes- Cream tabby tom with amber eyes

**Warriors-**

Finchberry- She-cat with short cream-brown fur

Weaselfog- Silver tabby tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices-**

Maplepaw- light tabby tom cat

Stonepaw- blue-grey she-cat

**Cats Outside The Clans**

**Loners-**

Bubble- Silver she-cat with copper eyes and blue-grey spots. Is smaller than usual. Claims to have a connection to the moon.

**Kittypets-**

Pretty Girl- Elegant calico she-cat with a pink collar

* * *

**Prologue**

Relentless sound filled her ears, so much different from the quiet buzzing or whispered voices she was used to in her house. Pelting water echoed outside of her hiding place, and she shivered uncontrollably, both unable and unwilling to move, wishing more than anything she was safe in her den. Why had her person brought her outside?

She had clung, terrified, to her mother, after fighting aggressively against leaving the house. Now, she just wanted to be safe in her mother's arms, sitting on the comfortable cushion next to her person's lap. She was not used to this outside world. It was unsafe.

Why had her mother brought her outside?

In the past, she had been brought outside for little to no reason, clung tight inside her person's warm pelt while a landscape of white painted even inches in front of her shivering nose. Other times, she had been brought to a roaring monster, but at least she had hiding places in there; at least it was cushioned and sheltered and warm. The monster had brought her to another house, where she was poked and prodded by a familiar scented person, but this person never brought her any harm and was a familiar face. But everytime she left, she was brought back home, where her friend Pretty Girl would greet her and begin grooming her fur.

She had panicked while clutching her mother this time. A load roar and crack startled her, and she had scrambled to her mother's shoulders. One more roar shortly after, and she leapt down, making a run for it. She had run until her sides heaved and her paws ached, desperately looking for her home. When she'd first dashed away, she'd heard echoes of her mother calling for her. Now, huddled underneath a fallen log, the only sound was the roar of the sky and the patter of the water on the ground.

How she wished her mother would find her here! Unwittingly, she let out a pitiful meow, which, so often echoed inside her house, was left unanswered here. She let out another unhappy wail, which she cut short at the sound of crunching in the undergrowth nearby. _This place isn't safe. Not like my house._ With that thought, she shuffled backwards further against the fallen log, trying to hide her tortoishell pelt in the shadows.

"Speckledkit? Is that you?" A meow echoed nearby. The she-kit shivered, trying to make herself as small as possible, fur on her spine beginning to bristle. The only other cat she'd met was her sister, Pretty Girl. She had only practiced fighting with her sister while playing, and they had always used sheathed claws. She had no idea what to expect with another cat.

A mostly white tabby face came into sight, and the hiding she-cat let out a tiny, almost imperceptible hiss. Her short, stubby and crooked tail puffed out to nearly three times its size, though it was tucked between her hind legs in fear.

"Speckledkit! I knew it was you!" Relief swamped the tabby and white she-cat's gaze, and with a tiny mewl of protest, the small kitten was dragged my the scruff out from under the log. Once freed from underneath the log, the older she cat began to lick the kitten vigorously, which was protested to with tiny, interrupted chirps.

There was something comforting about the grateful grooming the she-cat gave her. Feeling a tiny more at ease for the first time in hours, the kitten found her eyes beginning to droop.

She was shocked out of her near sleep when the older she-cat abruptly pulled away from licking her, almost as quickly as she had started. Amber eyes looked deep into the kitten's own leaf-green ones, and once again the kitten felt the fur on her pelt begin to bristle.

Realization, unimaginable grief, and compassion washed across the older she-cat's gaze before the kitten could react. She seemed to realize now that this kitten was not the cat she had been mistaken for. In a softer voice now, the older she-cat mewed, "Oh, you poor thing. You must be freezing. What are you doing so far out here in the forest?"

Shivering, the kitten was unable to respond, and she just scooted backward, keeping low to the ground and her shortened tail between her legs, to hide once again under the log, as if that could undo having been discovered.

"No, no, it won't do you any good to stay the night there, you'll freeze to death," The she-cat mewed softly, extending her tail to stop the kitten from going any further under the log. "Don't be scared little one, I won't hurt you. My name is Fawnspring. Do you have a name?" Fawnspring began licking the kitten's pelt again, more gently this time.

The tortoiseshell's fur began to relax as Fawnspring continued in the rhythm she'd started, and once again she found her eyes closing sleepily. She _had_ run a long way, and this she-cat seemed friendly enough. She certainly didn't seem to want to hurt her, anyways.

A gentle nudge stirred the kitten once more, and though she continued washing her, Fawnspring was looking at the tortoiseshell expectantly.

The kitten struggled to remember what she was called. After such a long, frightening day, it was hard to keep her thoughts straight, and her mother had called her several names, like baby and sweet. However, there was one name that her mother had seemed to favor above the rest.

"H-Heidi..." The kitten chirped quietly, feeling the muscles in her legs tense. She was again reminded of how far from home she truly was.

Fawnspring paused in her washing, and stared at Heidi with a distant look in her eyes. "Hiding...?" After a long silence, Fawnspring licked the top of Heidi's head, and returned her green gaze with warmth. "It suits you."

Heidi didn't think the name Fawnspring had said was quite right, but it sounded so similar it was hard for even her to tell. Maybe her name really was Hiding, anyways. Or maybe Hide-y. She had never given it much thought before.

Before she could say anything else, Fawnspring nosed Heidi under the shelter of the log, and curled beside her, continuing to groom the shivering kitten. "I'll take care of you, Hiding. Everything will be okay."

Warm at last, and comforted again by the rhythmic laps of Fawnspring's tongue, Heidi found herself finally growing comfortable enough to drift into a secure sleep.

**Chapter One**

The camp was in a hectic buzz as dawn crept across the sky. Voices sharp with concern and worry echoed over the darkened gazes of the silent cats. Few cats were still asleep in the chaos. Green eyes peered from behind the stone of a nest at the edge of the clearing.

At last a voice rose above the rest. A magnificent black tom with a brown, fluffy tail addressed a looking grey tom with deep blue eyes. "We can't just sit and wait, Jaystar! Fawnspring could be hurt out there! She's suffered so much, she's not in her right mind to be out on her own like that!"

The small cat watching from the shadows worked his paws into the soil. He longed to jump to his father's side in agreement, but he had been ordered to stay in the nursery.

The grey tabby dipped his head in acknowledgement, and at the gesture, the black tom went silent. "I know you're worried about her, Emberfall, but you must remember that Fawnspring isn't the only cat who has suffered this season. You two _both_ lost Hazelkit and Harekit to greencough, and saw Speckledkit carried away by that hawk," Jaystar reminded him.

At the reminder, Emberfall dipped his head in grief, and his lithe shoulders slumped. "I know I suffer much grief as well, Jaystar, and that my judgement is clouded. But it has been almost a full day since Fawnspring went charging after that hawk. I-" His voice broke. "I can't lose her too."

"Fawnspring is a strong, healthy she-cat. She knows her way around these woods better than many of our young warriors. I understand she is grieving, but I believe she will return, of her own accord, when she is ready." Jaystar's response was firm, but gentle. "She needs time to come to terms with the loss of her kit. She's always been very independent. Maybe a night to herself will do her healing that we cannot provide for her."

"I understand, Jaystar, but-" before the long haired tom could go on, a rustle in the bracken by the camp entrance got their attention. Having been intently focused on the conversation between the two toms, the Clan hadn't noticed Fawnspring enter until the rustling of leaves at her feet gave her away.

She carried a small, dark burden, and at the sight of the two, Emberfall nearly fell over himself with surprise. He bounded over to his mate, purring with relief, and licked her behind her ears. "Fawnspring! You're okay! And Speckledkit, you found h-" Nosing the tortoiseshell kitten in Fawnspring's jaws, Emberfall felt his muscles tense from head to toe as his response was cut short. He leapt back, bristling, as if she had instead brought a snake.

At the site of the newcomers, the small, mostly white tom kitten with tabby spots along his back, left ear, and tail bounded out of the nest in the bracken. "Fawnspring! You found Speckledkit! I knew you would find her, I knew it!" His small voice was overwhelmingly hopeful, and Emberfall made a move to stop the young kit before he got too close.

"Sparrowkit!" Emberfall hissed, trying to swipe at the kitten before he greeted his mother, but he was too late. Sparrowkit leapt excitedly at the tortoiseshell bundle in Fawnspring's jaws, causing the quiet kit to swing violently and let out a squeak of alarm.

Fawnspring stepped back, setting her burden down and smoothing the fur over the young kit's head. Sparrowkit, like his father, had frozen and backed away, nostrils flaring. Confusion and grief clouded his gaze.

Holding her head defiantly, Fawnspring curled her tail protectively around the frightened, shivering kit beneath her paws. It was Jaystar who spoke first. "Fawnspring," Jaystar began, taking a step towards the two she-cats, eyeing the kitten. "What is the meaning of this?"

"This is my kit." Fawnspring said boldly.

Gasps from her clanmates echoed around the camp, and Sparrowkit seemed to be shaken out of his spell. "That's not Speckledkit!" He hissed, eyes flashing with more fury than any cat thought possible of such a small kit. Emberfall's wariness was replaced with a look of horror.

"No," Fawnspring agreed, dipping her head in silence for a moment, as if grieving. Then, she met the green gaze of the kit beneath her paws, and the pain in her eyes melted to warmth. "This is Hidingkit."

At the mention of her name, the small kitten beneath Fawnspring tensed, looking around the cats with fright. She shrank underneath Fawnspring, curling her stubbed tail between her legs.

"Hidingkit!" A light tabby apprentice, Nettlepaw, spat incredulously, but a sharp look from Jaystar silenced him. He raised his deep blue gaze from Hidingkit to Fawnspring, which the she-cat met, unwaveringly. "Fawnspring, is this what you really want?" The question seemed to have a hidden message that only the two could understand.

"This is my kit, Jaystar," Fawnspring stated levelly, never breaking the grey leader's gaze. After a long silence, the clan leader merely dipped his head and padded away. Sparrowkit and most other cats of the clan looked on incredulously.

Emberfall's eyes met Fawnspring's, filled with such heavy grief that his whole frame seemed to drag. After a long hesitation, he padded over to Fawnspring and nuzzled her fur, ignoring the kitten beside her. "I'm glad you're okay, Fawnspring," He whispered. A quiet purr erupted from the she-cat. "I'm going to be okay now." She looked down with love at Hidingkit. "We all are."

_What about Speckledkit?! _He wanted to wail, _What about Hazelkit and Harekit? What about _me_?! _Two fox-length's away, Sparrowkit stared in dismay from Fawnspring to Emberfall, who both seemed to ignore their last living kit, eventually settling with fury on the small kitten between them.

The tumbling of small rocks interrupted the reunion as Jaystar climbed atop the ledge by his den. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a meeting!" The words were barely out of the leader's mouth before the Clan cats had gathered expectantly, clearly eager to hear what the clan leader would do about the new kitten in the Clan.

Sparrowkit bristled. _He can't just let her stay! Fawnspring's trying to replace Speckledkit! _He despaired to himself. Sure, both she-kits were tortoiseshell, but the differences ended there. Speckledkit had just as much peach and brown color in her pelt as she did grey and black, and a long, fluffy tail; this kit was mostly black with dappled specks of peach throughout her fur, a single peach colored hind paw, and a crooked, shortened tail that wagged back and forth like a dog's.

_Speckledkit has so much more on this dumb flea-bag! _Sparrowkit thought with satisfaction. _She's brave and kind. Nothing scares her! _Pausing, Sparrowkit shook himself. _She was. _He reminded himself, grief piercing his chest like a sharp thorn. He licked his fur beneath his chest, as if trying to dislodge the pain of his lost littermates. _That kit can barely pull her tail from between her hind legs, _he thought smugly.

"As many of you may have noticed, Fawnspring has decided to mother another kit after the regretful loss of Speckledkit, Hazelkit, and Harekit." At the mention of his dead littermates, Sparrowkit flinched, and Emberfall looked on with dull eyes. Fawnspring closed her eyes briefly, holding back the pain, but then opened them again to hold her head high.

"I say these words before Starclan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and welcome this beginning of something good in the wake of loss. Hidingkit, whatever your past may be, we welcome you as a member of ShadowClan, and look forward to watching you grow into a loyal warrior."

The stunned kit remained tucked underneath Fawnspring, looking dazed and out of place. "That kit has no idea what's going on!" A warrior muttered. "How do we know she will be loyal? She could be from another Clan for all we know!"

Sparrowkit looked over gratefully at the cat who had spoken, seeing that it was Quicktuft, a lithe light brown tabby tom. Nettlepaw murmured in agreement, though he knew better than to openly challenge his leader's words.

Someone had to make their leader see sense! But to Sparrowkit's dismay, Jaystar merely flicked his ears and announced, "This meeting is over." The tone of finality made it clear that this decision was not one to be argued with, and the clan members knew their leader well enough to keep their mouth's shut when Jaystar made a decision.

As the cats began to disperse back to their regular duties, Fawnspring picked up the frightened she-kit and padded over to the nursery, while Emberfall eased over to Sparrowkit. He shared a look of sympathy and grief with his son, and lightly touched the bristling kit's back with his tail.

"She's replacing Speckledkit!" Sparrowkit wailed, whirling to face his father. "She's just trying to pretend it never happened!"

Emberfall closed his eyes, shuddering as if a wave of pain had swept over him. "She's not replacing Speckledkit," He began at last. "She's lost most of her kits this last leaf-bare. If taking in an orphaned kit is what helps her cope with that loss, we must respect her decision." Sparrowkit opened his mouth to protest as Emberfall quietly added, "Especially since Jaystar himself has accepted her decision."

Sparrowkit closed his mouth, fury flashing in his gaze. "Well, I don't have to accept it! I won't! That stranger won't replace my sister!" He yowled, dashing off into the trees. Emberfall looked on wearily, and Dawnfeather, a peach colored she-cat, shot him a sympathetic look before trotting after the kit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hidingkit shivered against Fawnspring's side. "Leaf-bare may be ending, but it's still cold outside, so stay close, little one!" The queen had purred as they settled into their nest. The rest of the day had passed by uneventfully, with Fawnspring showing Hidingkit around the camp. The strange cats around her stole curious and wary looks, but otherwise didn't bother them.

"She's got bees in her brain!" Hidingkit had overheard during the tour. "Taking in an outside kit like that, as if she could just replace the kits she lost!"

"Hush now," A peach colored tabby said, whom Hidingkit later discovered was known as Dawnfeather, due to her feather-like tail. "Fawnspring has dealt with more grief than many of us this past leaf-bare. First her parents, then her kits, her first litter no less! She's finding her own way through it, and I can't see the harm in more Clan kits."

"Except the fact that she's not a Clan kit. That's something ThunderClan does, not ShadowClan! We can't trust kittypets or rouges to take up the warrior code!" The yellow colored tom lashed his tail.

"She's barely more than three or four moons old, by the look of her. Not more than a moon younger than Fawnspring's other kits. There's plenty of time for her to learn the warrior code, Yellowtail," Dawnfeather coaxed. Yellowtail had merely let out a gruff snort, and from what Hidingkit could tell, the conversation had ended there.

Now nightfall had turned the air even more brisk than it had been before, and although the bracken covered nursery kept out most of the wind, Hidingkit couldn't seem to keep warm. She longed for her mother - her real mother, not just Fawnspring. But whenever she mentioned going back home, the queen ignored her or changed the subject. Part of her wanted to give in to the gentle she-cat and accept her as family, but she knew that her real mother would be frantic. She also doubted the other Clan cats would be as welcoming as Fawnspring had been. _I'm like a prisoner, but nobody wants me here except Fawnspring_, Hidingkit thought miserably.

The small kit let out a sigh, and closed her eyes. Perhaps she could convince Fawnspring to help her find her way home tomorrow. She didn't feel comfortable in this clan of hard gazes and sharp claws.

Fawnspring's breathing deepened, indicating that the she-cat was fast asleep. Hidingkit nuzzled close, trying to find comfort in the sound, but she couldn't shake the feeling that made the fur on her spine prickle. Uneasy, Hidingkit opened her eyes and nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw a pair of amber eyes looking back at her-and they did not look friendly.

Hidingkit backed further into Fawnspring's pelt as the cat prowled into the moonlight, lighting up his mostly white fur, hatred burning in his gaze. "Who-Who are you?" Hidingkit stammered, trying to keep her paws from trembling.

Ignoring her question, the tom sprang forward, hooking Hidingkit's pelt with his claws. She let out a shriek of terror as he grasped her by the scruff and dragged her out into the moonlit clearing. Was he going to kill her?

"Help!" Hidingkit cried, terror bursting through every muscle in her body. At the cry, the tom leapt on her, covering her mouth with his paws so that she couldn't cry out. "Shut up!" He hissed. "Or I'll take your ear off!"

Hidingkit believed him. She had never seen so much hatred in a gaze in her entire life. As if to prove a point, the tom bit down on her ear - hard. She whimpered, unable to cry out, and felt a hot liquid drip down her fur. "Now are you going to shut up, kittypet?" The tom hissed into her ear, and though trembling, Hidingkit managed a nod.

As though he didn't believe her, the tom hesitated a moment before leaping off of the tortoiseshell. He wrinkled his nose with disgust, eyes narrowed to slits. Now that Hidingkit was able to see him more clearly, she realized that this cat was no more than a kit himself, just a bit bigger than her, was all. But it was clear that he bore the same muscle structure as many of the Clan cats that she'd seen so far, and was not to be messed with.

"You don't belong here, _kittypet_," He spat the word like a curse. "I can smell it all over you. There's no place for a soft-hearted twoleg thing in ShadowClan." The mostly white tom began pacing and circling her, tail lashing with fury, ears flattened against his head.

Hidingkit couldn't help but feel the tom looked familiar. Distracted from her fear for a moment, she tried to place the tom's face. She must have seen him in the clearing somewhere today. Opening her mouth to breathe in his scent, she realized with a jolt that he smelled like Fawnspring. This ferocious tom was her kit! "Sparrowkit!" Hidingkit exclaimed, as the name came back to her.

At the sound of his name, Sparrowkit let out a low growl. "And what's your real name, kittypet? We both know you didn't have a Clan name to begin with. Hidingkit! Named for your cowardice!" He spat.

Hidingkit winced at his harsh words, and shrank against his burning stare. "I-It's Heidi," She stammered, keeping her eyes focused on her paws, ears pulled back in shame. For a moment, Sparrowkit's anger was replaced by surprise. "Hide-y? Your name really is Hiding?"

Hidingkit shuffled her paws. "I-I think so."

Sparrowkit snorted. "You don't even know your own name!" He narrowed his eyes. "Go back to where you came from. You're not welcome here. You'll never take the place of my littermates, no matter what Fawnspring says!"

Hidingkit pricked her ears at his statement, and recalled a bit of the chaotic morning earlier that day. Hadn't some of these strange cats said Fawnspring lost her kits? It's no wonder Sparrowkit was so upset - that wasn't just anger in his gaze, it was pain. To Hidingkit, Speckledkit's death seemed to have been barely mentioned. Was that normal in a Clan?

Hidingkit tried to imagine how it would feel if her sister, Pretty Girl, had died. At the thought, an ache seemed to sink through her paws, straight to her bones. _Not that I'll ever see her again_, she thought. "I don't want to be here!" She wailed, her crooked tail lashing. "I want to go back to my mom and my sister. But I have no idea how I got here and Fawnspring won't listen to me!"

For a moment, Sparrowkit looked surprised, if not a little uncomfortable at her emotional outburst. "Why don't you just go back?" He asked warily. Hidingkit tore tufts of grass up from the cold earth. "Didn't you hear me?" She despaired, "I have no idea how to get there. I was asleep when Fawnspring carried me back here this morning!"

Sparrowkit looked at Hidingkit thoughtfully, seeming to mull over something. His anger had faded and was slowly being replaced by... excitement? The she-kit's pelt prickled uneasily as Sparrowkit's eyes lit up. "Alright," He meowed decisively, "I'll escort your way back." He added a low growl, eyes flashing, but Hidingkit could see the fire was, at least temporarily, out. "Only if you promise never to intrude on ShadowClan territory again!"

Hope flashed in Hidingkit's eyes momentarily, before doubt clouded her gaze. "How will we ever find it? My mother never took me outside, and it was dark when I got lost," She said, ignoring his threatening statement. "We'll find it," Sparrowkit promised. "We can follow your scent trail, and I know which direction the twolegplace is. I heard the warriors talking about it."

Hidingkit tilted her head to the side. "Warriors?" She inquired. Sparrowkit looked appalled, before a dark look crossed his gaze. "Of course you don't know about warriors and the warrior code, you're just a kittypet," He meowed. He glanced around the clearing warily, pausing at a cave-like den on the other side of the clearing. He shot Hidingkit a look. "You ready to go?"

Tension rippled down the tortoishell's pelt. "N-now?" She squeaked in surprise, glancing towards the nursery where Fawnspring lay curled up. Wouldn't she be worried?

"Yes, now," Sparrowkit retorted. "How else are we going to get out of camp without anyone noticing? Do you think they'll just let us by in broad daylight? Or are you too scared, Hidingkit?" Hidingkit bristled at his taunt, and felt a sort of fire in her heart to prove to this forest cat that she was much more than some scared kittypet. _But _am_ I?_ She wondered to herself.

"Of course not," She flicked her crooked tail defiantly at Sparrowkit. The tom snorted in disbelief, and began padding over to the den he had eyed earlier. "Alright then, keep your mouth shut, and walk quietly, or we'll wake the whole clan up before we even get out of camp. Let's see what we can find in the medicine den." _Why do we need to go to the medicine den?_ Hidingkit wondered, but she didn't dare speak up, for fear of being called a scaredy-cat again.

The den smelled musky and strongly of herbs, along with something else. Hidingkit nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw the white she-cat curled up in the corner of the den, but relaxed once she realized she was sleeping. "That's Halfmoon," Sparrowkit whispered to her, "She's our medicine cat. She took care of me when my siblings and I had greencough." His gaze turned dark. "Out of all of us, I was the only one who survived it. Speckledkit never got it, but, well, you heard what happened to her." He shot Hidingkit an accusatory glance, as if she were to blame for Speckledkit's death, but before she could protest, he covered his tail over her mouth and directed her gaze to what appeared to be a wall of assorted leaves.

Padding over to the leaves, Sparrowkit began sniffing some of the piles before dragging a few down from the wall and nosing them over to Hidingkit. He gathered his own pile and began to chew on the leaves, wincing at the taste. Hidingkit looked at him with wide eyes. "Well, go on, eat them!" Sparrowkit snapped quietly, and Hidingkit obediently chewed the leaves up, wrinkling her nose at the taste.

Once they'd feasted on their greens, Sparrowkit padded out of the den with Hidingkit close at his heels. "What was _that_?!" She exclaimed, running her tongue over her lips in disgust. Sparrowkit shot her a warning glance, reminding her to be quiet. "I was in the medicine den for a long time before I got better. Those were the herbs that Halfmoon uses before going to the moonpool, to give her energy for the long journey," He informed her. "I _think_ those were the ones, anyway," he added under his breath. Hidingkit's fur bristled with shock, wondering if she had just readily eaten a poison. They certainly tasted like it, anyways.

"Alright, Hidingkit, let's go find your home," Sparrowkit announced, a hint of excitement in his voice, and Hidingkit padded after him obediently as they left the comfort of the camp and wandered into the cool, dark forest.

* * *

As they had crossed deeper into the pine forest on an uphill slope, Sparrowkit had been explaining the warrior code to Hidingkit. He'd told her about the four different Clans, (but how ShadowClan was the best!), and even StarClan, which had both puzzled and fascinated Hidingkit. He had also explained some of the urban legends, such as that of the Great Storm and Tigerstar in the Dark Forest, telling the tales as if he had lived to see them himself. As they had talked, Sparrowkit had seemed to relax his callous demeanor around her, and Hidingkit was beginning to get the impression that Sparrowkit wasn't so bad after all, just lonely.

"So why do you guys all have two names?" Hidingkit inquired, struggling over a fallen log. Her paws were beginning to tire, but she wouldn't dare complain in front of Sparrowkit. "My mother only called me Hidey-Well, I suppose she called me Hidey Baby and Sweet Baby; but it seems like it's a little more...weird in your Clan." She tossed an apologetic glance to the mostly white tom.

At first he didn't seem to hear her. Hidingkit had noticed that the further they got from camp, the more wary and on edge Sparrowkit seemed to get, and while she wasn't nearly as scared as she had been her first night in the forest, Hidingkit had to admit that she felt nervous too. _It helps to have Sparrowkit nearby, who knows all of this stuff,_ She reflected, keeping close to the older kit.

After a long silence, Sparrowkit flicked his gaze towards Hidingkit. "Twolegs are the weird ones!" He meowed. "Our names are very important. When we're born, our parents give us our first name-mine is Sparrowkit and yours is Hidingkit. We have 'kit at the end of them, until we turn about six moons old, when we can become apprentices. Then we become 'paws." Sparrowkit puffed out his chest proudly. "In a little over one moon, I'm gonna be the best apprentice in the Clan!" He declared. Hidingkit purred with amusement, wagging her tail back and forth.

"After apprentices have finished their training to become warriors or medicine cats, they get their warrior name, given by the clan leader. Dawnfeather, for example. They keep this name unless if the clan leader decides to change it, or unless they become clan leader - during which they get their nine lives from StarClan, and change their name to 'star, like Jaystar."

Hidingkit gaped at him. "You mean the nine lives thing is real? I always thought it was just a story!" Sparrowkit shook his head. "Not for Clan leaders, it's not."

Suddenly, he froze, tail lashing back and forth, ears pricked behind him. Hidingkit stumbled at his abrupt stop, feeling a cold chill of fear sweep down her fur. Did he hear something? She strained to listen, but the wind through the trees was the only sound she could make out. _What if it's a fox, or a hawk, like what took Speckledkit away?_ Hidingkit thought fearfully. She whipped her head back and forth, desperately searching for the threat.

"Who's there?" Sparrowkit called bravely, but Hidingkit could hear the tremor in his voice. A shuffling behind them caused Hidingkit to jump, her fur bushed out so that she looked nearly twice her size. A rustling in some bracken behind them caused both cats to whirl around, claws unsheathed, fur standing on end to face their enemy.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to everyone who has commented. Your reviews keep me going!_

_If anyone has OCs or cats they'd like to have an appearance in my story, you're welcome to leave info about them in the comments section and I'd be more than happy to incorporate them. It's hard to think of so many different cats (and names!) on my own. Just tell me their name, whether they're a tom or she-cat, their role and clan, and a little bit about their personality. The other clans aren't in the story yet but they will be shortly and there will be a small appearance for rogues/kittypets in the next couple of chapters._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"It's just me, Sparrowkit," A tiny mew called out after a moment, and a tiny black kitten slunk out from behind a tree. The kitten couldn't have been more than two moons old. "I wanted to see where you were going."

Hidingkit shot an alarmed glance at Sparrowkit, who's fur began to lie flat. "Great StarClan, Ravenkit! You nearly startled the fur off me!" He shot a glance at Hidingkit and licked his chest self-consciously. "Not that I was really scared!"

A yowl pierced the cool night air and a dark grey shape launched itself at Sparrowkit before he could say more. The tom cat let out an "Oof!" As the air was knocked out of him, but he quickly tussled with his assailant and had the small grey kitten pinned by her scruff.

"Rainkit!" Sparrowkit exclaimed, irritation in his eyes. The kit wagged her tail excitedly, unfazed by her current position. "I got you, Sparrowkit! We tracked you all the way from camp, and I got you!" The kit exclaimed proudly. Hidingkit noticed that both kits seemed oblivious to any danger that might be around them this late at night.

Sparrowkit seemed to notice it too. "What in StarClan's name are you two doing?!" He meowed, releasing the grey she-kit from his grip. She bounced up excitedly, and Hidingkit noticed that the pair's tussle had done nothing to sap Rainkit of her enthusiasm. "We're coming with you!" She announced, nearly bouncing on her paws.

"Yeah!" Ravenkit chimed in, though a little less boldly. "We heard you guys right before you left. We wanna come on an adventure too! Chase that kittypet out of our territory!" The kit bared her teeth and dropped into a crouch, facing Hidingkit, who's fur bristled in discomfort.

Rainkit seemed aware that the focus of their attention had changed. "You'll see what happens when you intrude in ShadowClan!" She squealed, pouncing on the tortoishell she-cat. Hidingkit let out a startled yelp, trying to shake the grey kit off but not wanting to hurt her. Fortunately, the kitten's claws were sheathed.

"Oh, cut it out!" Sparrowkit growled, grasping the tiny kit - even by Hidingkit's standards - by the scruff and dragging her off. He dropped Rainkit beside her sister, eyes flashing with annoyance. "You two can't come with! You're barely two moons old," He protested.

Ravenkit's shoulder's slumped in disappointment and Rainkit's mouth opened in a heartbroken wail. "But Sparrowkit, you're still a kit too!" She protested. Sparrowkit's tail lashed and his ears pulled back as if in embarrassment. "Yes, but I'm also three times your size!" He growled.

Hidingkit had to agree. She had her misgivings about even the two of them traveling as far as they had that night. She couldn't imagine being so small and traveling much farther. She padded forward hesitantly, glancing from Sparrowkit to the two small she-cats. "We _have_ to find my home," She chirped, "But my paws are already tired. Aren't yours?" She tilted her head.

The two she-kits shuffled their paws uncertainly, exchanging a look. "And aren't you cold?" Hidingkit pressed, knowing her logic was getting through to them. "Your mother must be worried already." _I know mine is_, She thought sadly.

After a long silence, Sparrowkit spoke up. "Actually, I'm glad you two followed us," He announced, causing Hidingkit to glance over in surprise. The two kits perked up. "You remember how sad Fawnspring was when Hazelkit and Harekit went to StarClan?"

Confused, the two she-kits nodded. Where is he going with this? Hidingkit wondered and the tom continued. "You see, we had to leave so that Hidingkit can go back to her mom and sister. But we couldn't let Fawnspring know. In the morning, she's going to be really scared and worried about us," Sparrowkit continued seriously, and Hidingkit's paws prickled with guilt as she realized that he was right. _He didn't forget about Fawnspring after all_, She mused.

"We don't want her to be sad. I need you two to keep her company and let her know that nothing bad happened to us. But not until the morning! If she finds out too soon, she might try to stop Hidingkit from going home. Do you two understand?" He pressed, looking seriously from one kit to the other. Rainkit and Ravenkit nodded solemnly.

"You can trust us!" Ravenkit announced proudly. Hidingkit purred at her excitement. To them, this was a very serious, secret mission. And, she thought, probably a good excuse for them to head back without admitting that they are tired. Suddenly, a concern struck her. "Do you two know how to get back from here?" Hidingkit inquired. She knew that she would have trouble herself finding her way through this dark forest without Sparrowkit's help.

Rainkit let out a _mrrroow_ of laughter. "Ravenkit's gonna be the best tracker in the Clan! Of course we can find our way back." The two sister's shared a glance of excitement before diving back the way they came, teasing meows echoing for several moments before the forest grew silent once again.

Sparrowkit let out a long sigh. "Good. Now let's leave before they change their mind," He said, padding forward at a brisk pace. Hidingkit trotted to keep up with him, grateful, at least, for the gentle bed of pines beneath her feet and the lack of undergrowth to trip over.

* * *

The first streaks of dawn had barely begun to creep across the sky by the time Sparrowkit and Hidingkit reached a dark, acrid smelling surface, separating the pine trees from the grasses beyond.

Hidingkit padded forward, setting her paw on the cool surface and giving it a curious sniff. Dizzy memories of being brought by her mother into a monster swept through her mind, and she glanced in either direction of the path before padding forward.

"What are you doing?!" Sparrowkit bristled, pawing at her desperately before he dashed to her side. "This is a Thunderpath. Monsters will crush us here! We have to be careful!" He hissed, his fur only lying flat once they reached to the other side.

Hidingkit looked at him in confusion. "But there was nothing there. I checked," She meowed. A low roar echoed in the distance. Sparrowkit's tail lashed furiously. "Clan cats have died on Thunderpaths! We have to be careful!" He insisted, and as if summoned by his words, a gigantic, roaring monster swept by on the Thunderpath, scattering dirt and rocks their way. Hidingkit let out a yelp of terror at the loud noise and dashed across the fields, towards the twoleg buildings up ahead. Sparrowkit was close behind, tail bushed out to twice its size.

Noises and roaring assaulted Hidingkit's senses, and she thought she could make out some twoleg voices, which only put more power into her paws. She pushed against the grass beneath her paws, only stopping once she reached the shelter of a prickly bush alongside one of the twoleg dens. She gasped heavily, grateful to see Sparrowkit bursting into the bushes shortly after her.

Once under cover, Sparrowkit flopped down exhaustedly, licking his paws. "I think I stepped on a thorn!" He complained, glancing at Hidingkit, and flattening his ears back before looking away abruptly. "Your ear doesn't look so good," He mewed gruffly, avoiding her gaze. "It's all red."

With the events of the night, and perhaps the chilly weather, Hidingkit had almost completely forgotten about her injured ear. However, now that Sparrowkit mentioned it, she noticed it was throbbing painfully. The dash into the prickly bushes couldn't have helped the injury.

"I'm fine," Hidingkit lied, standing to her paws. "We can't be too far now, right? And then my mother will fix it for me." She forced her voice to sound confident and assured, though inside she felt anything but. Peering out from the bushes, Hidingkit noticed with dismay that nothing near them looked familiar. It had been dark and rainy when she got lost, and everything looked different in the early daylight.

"So where to next?" Sparrowkit had stopped fussing over his paw and squeezed next to her, following her gaze. As if on cue, some twolegs walked past, and Hidingkit shrank further into the shade. "Do you recognize any of them?" He pressed. She shook her head uncertainly. "I don't really know," Hidingkit meowed, "I never went outside unless if it was to go to the vet."

Sparrowkit shot her a confused look, but when she didn't answer his tail lashed in frustration. "Well, we won't get anywhere by hiding under some bushes all day long, _Hiding_kit," He snapped. "We need to go out there and take a look around." Hidingkit heard a slight tremor in his voice, but he crawled out of the bushes with his head held high. Reluctantly, she followed, trying to keep from jumping at every slight sound.

They traveled further into the forest of twoleg nests, Sparrowkit occasionally asking Hidingkit if anything looked familiar, but each time she felt more and more uncertain. Her belly grumbled hungrily, and from Sparrowkit's shorter and shorter temper, she could tell that he was feeling the long night of traveling too. However, she was reluctant to stop when she could be so close.

It was nearly sunhigh when Sparrowkit exclaimed, "Surely you recognize _something_!" Hidingkit tore up the grass beneath her paws. "I don't know!" She wailed. "My mother put me inside a monster, it was only when we got out that I got lost!" The higher the sun climbed, the further Hidingkit's hopes fell. Nothing looked familiar around here. Sparrowkit shot her an alarmed look. "You went into the belly of a monster? Your _mother_ put you there? What kind of cat does that?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

Hidingkit shot him a look of confusion. "My mother's not a cat," She meowed. At her statement, the tom cat recoiled. "What? You're calling a _twoleg_ your mother?" Sparrowkit spat in disgust. Hidingkit felt the need to defend herself. "She is my mother! She takes care of me, and snuggles with me, and feeds me, and grooms me..." She trailed off as she noticed that Sparrowkit's expression remained unchanged. Hidingkit let out a huff of frustration. "Whatever! I don't need to explain it to you!" She hissed, padding away to look among the twoleg nests some more, hoping desperately to see something - anything - that looked familiar.

* * *

Sparrowkit was beginning to doubt that they would find Hidingkit's home after all. His stomach growled, his paws hurt, and his eyes were heavy from staying alert all night and half the day. Fortunately, the dogs they'd run into had been restrained with a long twoleg thing, so they hadn't had to run far in those cases.

Sparrowkit noticed that Hidingkit's actions were growing more desperate as time went on, and she frequently ran up to twoleg homes, letting out loud cries, but when an unfamiliar twoleg would open the entrance to the nest, she would dash away like a horde of foxes were on her tail.

They had managed to scavange some food outside one of the twoleg dens, in a circular sort of nest, only to be chased off by a local kittypet. When Hidingkit had desperately asked the cat if he had known anything about her sister, Pretty Girl (who Hidingkit assured him was indeed a cat), she had received a claw to the side in response.

Now the tortoishell she cat limped forward, as if each step she took was like lifting a river's worth of stones. Sparrowkit had to admit he felt concerned for Hidingkit. She looked lost in more ways than one. Whenever he met her gaze to say anything, the words died before he could meow them at the amount of pain in her eyes. _Twoleg or not, she misses her family_, Sparrowkit mused.

Not long after sunhigh, Hidingkit's legs gave out beneath her and she slumped to the ground beside some bracken. Sparrowkit rushed to her side, fur bristling in alarm, but rather than an injury, Hidingkit looked onward with dull eyes. "I'm never going to find them," She whispered hoarsely.

Sparrowkit felt that thorn in his chest again, the one that hadn't left since he lost his siblings. It was as if some cat was dragging a claw and digging it in deeper. He wondered if this was how Hidingkit was feeling, now. After he saw Speckledkit being taken away, he had worn that same expression.

Not knowing what to say, but unable to deny the statement that had been proved true after today's long journey, Sparrowkit settled beside her, wrapping his tail around her in comfort. He eyed her swollen ear, which looked even worse after being out in the sun with little food or water all day. _That's my fault_, he thought guiltily. He had been so upset after losing Speckledkit that he had taken it out on Hidingkit. Sparrowkit racked his brain trying to remember what herbs Halfmoon used for infections, but all he could remember was a yellow flower, which, a brief look around, revealed to be nowhere in sight.

Hidingkit met his gaze with such sorrow that he wanted to cry out for her. "What do I do now?" She whispered. She looked as if she had given up on everything. Sparrowkit knew there was only one answer, and he brought himself to his paws, nudging her up as well.

"Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for the review Midnightfrost. I'm really glad someone noticed that I made Halfmoon the medicine cat. There's gonna be a bit of story there but I don't want to reveal it quite yet._

_This chapter is a little shorter because I want to jump ahead to their apprenticeship soon._

_As always, dear readers, reviews and original cats are welcome if you'd like for me to incorporate them into the story. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

"What do you mean I can't become an apprentice for another moon?!" Sparrowkit bristled. Fawnspring licked his forehead comfortingly, but he pulled back, eyes blazing in defiance against the blue-eyed leader in front of him.

In the moon since they'd returned from the twolegplace, Hidingkit had remained in the medicine den, healing from her ear infection that had sapped most of her energy to even play kit games. At least, Halfmoon _said_ that it was the infection that sapped her energy. Only Sparrowkit knew the true extent of her pain was what caused her to barely leave the den, perhaps even having made the infection so bad in the first place.

When they had been found near the edge of the twolegplace by the ShadowClan patrol searching for them, Hidingkit had been feverish and barely conscious. The yellow flowers Sparrowkit had given her to eat had only made her belly upset, and to his embarrassment, he had learned back at camp that it was the leaves of marigold - not the flowers - that healed an infection, and that they weren't meant to be eaten, only applied as a poultice. Once they returned, Sparrowkit had barely left her side in the medicine den. The infection spread so bad that Hidingkit was barely conscious for several days after the journey, and Halfmoon had seemed a little surprised when she had pulled through. Sparrowkit felt he could never rid himself of the guilt he felt towards her.

Fawnspring had fussed continuously over the she-kit, and Rainkit and Ravenkit visited Hidingkit frequently, but she watched them with dull eyes, half-heartedly tossing moss balls back and forth with the kits. Now that the she-kit was conscious, Sparrowkit had hardly visited her. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze without the guilt eating at the thorn in his chest.

Sparrowkit had been confined to caring for the elders since he returned, dealing with many sunrises of vile mouse-bile to rid them of their ticks and fleas. "If you want to be an apprentice so bad, you can start to help the Clan like one," Jaystar had mewed seriously. Emberfall never let him forget that he was lucky that was his only punishment, after nearly frightening him and Fawnspring to death when they awoke without their last kit.

Now, with his sixth moon around the corner, Jaystar was informing Sparrowkit that he'd have to wait to be apprenticed one more moon, when Hidingkit was ready. "Your journey with Hidingkit and blatant disobedience of the warrior code has shown that you're not ready to be an apprentice. I'm not going to ask you what happened on the journey, but I know you had something to do with how she's been getting along since she got back," The grey tabby meowed grimly, and Sparrowkit winced, knowing he was referring to both the infection and her attitude. "She's had to spend all this time recovering, and nearly left us for StarClan. It's only fair that you keep her company until her apprenticeship. After all, you were the one that wanted to journey with her so badly." His voice was dripping with sarcasm at the last statement.

Sparrowkit fumed silently, biting back a sharp retort. He knew arguing would just earn him another moon caring for the elders, and fortunately Jaystar had relieved him of these duties before breaking the bad news. As the leader padded away, Emberfall's tail brushed his back in sympathy, and Sparrowkit whirled around, fury in his gaze. He opened his mouth to protest the leader's decision when he noticed some of his Clanmates watching from afar, and his ears burned with embarrassment.

"Imagine how everyone sees me now," He mewed bitterly, lashing his tail. Emberfall's gaze turned to amusement. "Now? Imagine how everyone saw you when you took a four moon old kit out of the Clan all the way to the twolegplace," The dark coated warrior purred gently, pressing his muzzle to Sparrowkit's head. "It's to be expected. Your time will come soon enough to prove yourself to the Clan," He mewed.

Fawnspring joined the two toms. "Why don't you spend some time with Hidingkit? You've barely spoken to her since she woke up, and I feel like no one's able to get through to her," She suggested gently. "Yeah, yeah," The white tom muttered. Irritation made Sparrowkit's paws itch as he realized that Fawnspring was more worried about Hidingkit than she was about him. She had nearly cried with relief when he had returned, and Sparrowkit's fury towards Hidingkit had long burned out, but it still hurt to see Fawnspring giving so much attention to some other kit.

Shaking away from Emberfall's tail, Sparrowkit trotted purposefully over to the medicine den, though as he reached the vine covered entrance, his steps faltered. The image of the pain in Hidingkit's eyes once she realized she'd never see her family again flashed in his mind, causing that thorn in Sparrowkit's chest to twist again. He hadn't been happy about her coming to the Clan, but he never wanted anyone to feel the way he had when he'd lost his siblings.

Pushing aside his thoughts, Sparrowkit steeled himself and slid through the vines into the shaded den. The strong smell of herbs reached him before his eyes adjusted to the light, and a brief look around the medicine den revealed that Hidingkit was nowhere in sight. _She must be deeper in the den_, He mused. At the sound of his entrance, a white she-cat poked her head out from a corner of the den, jaws full of herbs. Her bright green eyes lit up and she set the herbs down gingerly, trotting over to the kit, and touched her nose with his.

"Sparrowkit! It's good to see you," Halfmoon purred fondly, "Are you here to see Hidingkit?" Halfmoon had grown quite close to Sparrowkit when he was ill with greencough, and even closer so when he returned with Hidingkit. He admitted that he found more comfort in the medicine cat's presence than his own mother, sometimes, and she seemed to take an interest in his memory of herbs, even though he'd embarrassingly misused them on the trip.

Sparrowkit shuffled his paws uneasily, not yet willing to admit that he was wondering how the she-kit was doing. He hardly saw her outside of the medicine den, and when he did see her, she often gazed back unseeingly and listless. Sensing Sparrowkit's hesitance, Halfmoon nodded to a corner of the den, sheltered further in the back like a cave. "She's back there. I'm sure she'd appreciate the company. She's spoken quite fondly of you since she's been healing," Halfmoon hinted.

Sparrowkit's eyes widened in surprise. "She has?" He squeaked. He couldn't believe that the tortoishell she cat would have anything nice to say about him after he attacked her and tried to drive her out of the Clan. "Oh, yes," Halfmoon mewed distractedly, returning to her herbs that she'd been sorting. Knowing he wasn't going to get much more out of the medicine cat, Sparrowkit braved himself and trotted towards Hidingkit's part of the den, calling quietly around the corner. "Hidingkit? It-It's me, Sparrowkit."

At first, all that answered him from the dark corner was silence, then a shuffling sounded and two green eyes peered back at him curiously. "Sparrowkit?" Hidingkit called back, tilting her head. Sparrowkit nodded and padded over to her, a little hesitantly, before she gestured with her crooked tail for him to sit by her.

He could hardly bring himself to meet her green gaze, but when he did, he was surprised to find that there was much more life behind her eyes than he had seen lately, though the sadness wouldn't leave her expression. Sparrowkit shuffled his paws uncomfortably, staring down at them. "I'm sorry I attacked you that night," He whispered. He was aware that, if she'd heard news about his delayed apprenticeship, Hidingkit might believe he was being forced to apologize, but he meant every word, which lay heavy as a stone in his heart since their journey.

Hidingkit remained quiet, but Sparrowkit could sense that she was listening. Suddenly it all came rushing out. "I was just so upset after Speckledkit, and for Fawnspring to treat you like more of her kit than me even, and I'm so sorry that I brought you back to that twolegplace and that you got so sick, I'm sorry that I didn't remember the right herbs to make you better-" He stammered, paws shaking, only to be interrupted as Hidingkit placed her paw directly on his face. Surprised, Sparrowkit pulled back so quickly that he fell backwards, and Hidingkit let out a _mrrroow_ of amusement.

"I'm glad you brought me back there, Sparrowkit," Hidingkit mewed, and he gaped at her in shock. Though sadness clouded her gaze, he could tell she was being sincere. "You were the only one willing to help me find my family. It's not your fault that we weren't able to. I understand why you attacked me, but it wasn't your fault I got so sick." She looked off distantly. "I never would have been able to feel comfortable here if I hadn't at least tried. And thanks to you, we tried really, _really_ hard." Hidingkit shook her head, as if shaking away the memories. "I doubt I would have even made it that far without you. I probably would have been too scared to, and always regretted it. You helped me be brave enough to try."

Sparrowkit didn't know what to say. In his shock, the only words that tumbled out of his mouth were, "I knew you were a scaredy-cat!" He winced, regretting them as soon as they were out of his mouth, and Hidingkit's tail lashed angrily. "Don't act like you weren't scared out of your fur when we saw that monster!" She taunted, but when Sparrowkit looked up to protest he saw her eyes glinting with humor. "Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, that may have startled me a bit," The white and tabby tom conceded. "A bit!" Hidingkit scoffed, "Your fur was bushed out twice your size!"

"Yours was too!" He retorted, hackles raised, and Hidingkit purred with amusement. "I'll just have to prove I'll be braver from now on," She announced. "It'll be hard to catch up to you, though. You're getting a moon head start on your apprenticeship, after all," She meowed with a sigh, and Sparrowkit tensed. _So she didn't overhear yet_, he mused. Shuffling his paws nervously, he avoided her eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll catch up soon enough," Sparrowkit muttered.

"Anyways, I better go, Yellowtail's probably gotta complain about his nest again," Sparrowkit announced abruptly, backing up. Hidingkit watched him curiously, looking a little disappointed. "Oh, okay. Well, I'll see you later," She meowed, laying her head back down on her paws. Guilt twisted the thorn in his chest once more, but in a different way, and he hurried towards the den entrance before he could make sense of it.

Sparrowkit bumped into Halfmoon before he could make his escape, and she let out a squeak of surprise. "Oh, hey, Sparrowkit. Going out already?" She inquired.

"Gotta look after Yellowtail," He excused himself, trying to push past the medicine cat. She looked on, confusedly. "I thought Jaystar told you you were done with elder duty?" Halfmoon called after him, but he was already ducking out of the den, pretending he hadn't heard her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hidingkit dashed down the slope, paws thudding heavily on the pine-strewn ground. Her breaths came in heavy gasps, and fear streaked every patch of fur on her pelt. All around her, the crying voices of cats in pain echoed in the forest. However, wildly whipping her head side to side, she couldn't find the source of the noise.

"Where are you?!" Hidingkit cried, throwing herself over a large stone. Her foot stumbled and she landed wrong on the leap, losing her balance and falling over herself before resting at an abrupt stop. Pain shot through her entire body, from her ears to her tail-tip, and she let out a low moan. _I can't stop now!_ Hidingkit despaired, struggling to her paws with gritted teeth.

She carried forward, more slowly now, and each pawstep sent fresh waves of pain up her legs. Her body felt stiff and cold, as if she were walking through ice water. Soon, Hidingkit had to drag her hind leg behind her in a limp; the coldness of the ground had spread completely up her leg.

Hidingkit's movement slowed as the ice cold continued to spread, completely immobilizing her hind legs. A new wave of terror coursed through her veins as she struggled to pull herself forward with just her front paws, but soon, the coldness echoed in her pawtips, stretching up her front paws as well. She was completely incapable of moving her legs.

The voices of crying cats seemed to get louder, and as the cold washed up her back, rooting it to the spot, Hidingkit wondered numbly if they would be able to help her. Her breathing came harder and harder now, as the coldness spread to her chest and neck, and she struggled to fight the stone-heavy stillness in order to simply breathe.

"Help!" Hidingkit gasped, but her voice was merely a whisper of the breath she had no control over anymore. Eyes wide in terror, she felt the coldness overwhelming her face and throat, frozen in a stiff cry of pain and fear. Her ragged breaths stilled, then stopped. All she heard was the screaming yowls of cats, giving voice to her pain and fear that she could no longer express, as if they were right beside her. Then everything went dark.

* * *

Hidingkit shot up in her nest, gasping for breath, body covered in a cold sweat. Fresh terror of the dream coursed through her veins, and she struggled to remind herself that she was safe in the medicine den. Bleary green eyes peered up at her from across the den. "Hidingkit? Did you dream?" The tired gaze became instantly more alert, and the white she-cat bounded by Hidingkit's side as younger cat caught her breath.

Hidingkit's entire body trembled with fear, and she leaned against Halfmoon, as if she could find comfort in the she-cat. She had been declared healthy enough to leave the medicine den nearly a moon ago, but her recurring nightly dreams since her infection kept her rooted to the medicine den. It was bad enough that she disturbed Halfmoon's sleep; she didn't want to disturb Fawnspring, Sparrowkit, and Runningleaf's kits.

"It's okay," Halfmoon meowed gently, "You're safe." Her tail brushed across Hidingkit's bristled spine, and slowly, her fur began to flatten. Hidingkit began practicing the breathing techniques Halfmoon had taught her to help ease her nerves. If she didn't work on calming down after these dreams, she often felt the cold numbness in her paws for the rest of the day, as if her dream had followed her into the waking world.

After a few quiet moments, Hidingkit stretched and shakily rose to her paws. "Is it dark outside still?" She inquired weakly. She didn't think she would be able to get back to sleep for awhile after that horrifying nightmare. Hidingkit swore she could still hear the pained voices around her.

Halfmoon shook her head. "I think the dawn patrol just left," The medicine cat responded. Hidingkit nodded, shakily padding towards the entrance to the den. "I think I need some fresh air," She whispered hoarsely, and Halfmoon shot her a look of sympathy before padding back to her nest.

Outside of the medicine den, a cool breeze drifted across the camp. Few cats were awake, and Hidingkit blinked her eyes as she adjusted to the light. The days were already getting longer, and the weather had gotten much warmer in the two moons since Sparrowkit and her had returned from the twoleg-place. Since Sparrowkit had visited her a moon ago, Hidingkit had been out of the medicine den much more often, and was slowly starting to earn her place in the Clan. However, though the muttered rumors had long since stopped, she still observed a coldness from most of the other clan cats. It seemed they would never forget she was not Clanborn.

As if sensing her thoughts, Eagletail, a black colored tom with a long white tail, paused from his grooming and eyed Hidingkit suspiciously. Dragging her gaze away, tail waving uncomfortably, Hidingkit glanced hopefully at the nursery. As if on cue, Sparrowkit eased out, shooting an irritated look behind him. Excited mews echoed from the nursery, and Hidingkit realized with a purr that Rainkit and Ravenkit had probably disturbed the white tom's sleep.

Sparrowkit spotted her watching him and veered towards her, steps light and tail flicking with excitement. As bitter as he had been about having his apprenticeship delayed, Hidingkit knew that had done nothing to dampen his excitement about the upcoming ceremony. Hidingkit only wished she could say the same, but whenever she thought towards learning how to fight, her chest tightened with fear. Their journey had been frightening enough, and part of her just wanted to stay in the camp where it was safe.

Trying to conceal her nervousness as Sparrowkit approached, Hidingkit licked her paw and brushed it over her ear. However scared she was, Sparrowkit would never let her live it down if she showed it. "You couldn't sleep either?" She meowed to the tom cat. Letting out a low growl, Sparrowkit flicked his tail in the direction of the nursery. "I can't wait until I'm in a different den from those noisy kits!"

Despite his irritation, from the way his tail tip flicked back and forth, Hidingkit knew that he was doing everything he could to conceal his excitement. She purred, nosing him gently. "Let's go play cat-and-mouse before everyone else wakes up. That way we won't have to worry about Yellowtail complaining about tripping over us."

Sparrowkit's eyes lit up excitedly. "Only if you're the mouse first!" He growled and dropped into a crouch, hindquarters waggling before he pounced. Letting out a squeal of excitement, Hidingkit dashed out of his way, paws scrabbling against the pine needles beneath her feet. Spying a nearby pine tree at the edge of the camp, Hidingkit pushed against the ground and launched herself up the tree to the first sturdy branch, tail wagging excitedly.

Sparrowkit scrabbled to a stop at the base of the tree. "No fair! Mice can't climb!" He yowled, pacing back and forth. "You're right!" Hidingkit purred, "That's why you're the mouse now!" With a heave, she threw herself out of the tree, landing with an "Oof!" On top of Sparrowkit. The wind knocked out of him, she playfully pummeled his back until he heaved up, rolling over in efforts to throw her off.

"Hidingkit, you're more like a SkyClan cat than a ShadowClan cat!" Fawnspring padded over to them with a purr, distracting Hidingkit for a moment, but long enough for Sparrowkit to regain his bearings and tussle with her so that he had her pinned, motionless. "I got you! You're still the mouse!" Sparrowkit purred, releasing her and licking his paw.

Fawnspring licked Sparrowkit's ear affectionately and nuzzled Hidingkit as she scrambled to her paws. Her eyes shone with pride. "Are you two ready? It's a big day," She reminded them, and Sparrowkit's tail lashed. "I've been ready for the last two moons!" He huffed, his playfulness abruptly vanished.

Ignoring her kit, Fawnspring turned to Hidingkit, eyes round with worry. "What about you, Hidingkit? Do you feel ready? If you're still feeling unwell, it's okay to wait," The calico she-cat insisted. Sparrowkit's eyes narrowed, and Hidingkit's paws shuffled with discomfort. "Halfmoon says I'm healthy enough to begin my apprenticeship," She mumbled, casting her gaze down. In the last two moons, Hidingkit had grown to love Fawnspring like a mother, but she couldn't help but feel distanced from the she-cat when she fussed over her. She knew how much it bothered Sparrowkit.

Fawnspring's concern was unwavering. "But what about _you_? Do _you_ feel ready?" She repeated. Sparrowkit pushed forward. "Halfmoon says she's ready!" He argued, eyes blazing. "She's been better for a moon and a half now, we're almost apprentices! You don't need to fuss over her like a newborn kit!" Fawnspring recoiled at his words, and Hidingkit winced. What he said was true, but he didn't need to say it like _that_. "I'm ready to be an apprentice, Fawnspring," Hidingkit mumbled, willing her voice to sound confident. "If you say so." Fawnspring looked doubtful, but she said nothing more before she padded away.

Sparrowkit was still bristling as he watched their mother go. Hidingkit opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Sparrowkit was already stomping away, tail lashing with fury. Hidingkit's shoulder's slumped. She loved Fawnspring, but she wished that the she-cat would take a hint and realize how much her actions were upsetting her son.

Suddenly, Hidingkit's belly let out a low growl, and she was reminded of how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten since last night. Feeling a bit more excited, the she-cat trotted over to the fresh-kill pile, grateful to see that there was at least some fresh-kill in with last night's stale prey. One of the early hunting patrols must have started bringing back prey already. Pausing for a moment, Hidingkit settled on a small vole and carried it in her mouth towards the medicine den.

"Hidingkit," A low voice called behind her, and Hidingkit jumped, startled. She felt even more uneasy once she realized it was Jaystar exiting the medicine den, his striking blue gaze seeming to sweep through to her soul. She dropped the vole at her feet and dipped her head respectfully, though her fur prickled with fear. What could the Clan leader want from _her_? Was she in trouble?

Jaystar's gaze revealed nothing. "We'll do the apprentice ceremony once the dawn patrol returns," He informed her. Hidingkit stood up taller, trying to look alert and excited. "Great!" She mewed enthusiastically, though her confidence wavered once she saw a curious look flash over his eyes.

"You've been spending a lot of time in the medicine den," Jaystar pointed out thoughtfully. _Oh no!_ Hidingkit despaired, _I _am_ in trouble!_ She shuffled her feet uneasily. "Halfmoon and I were beginning to wonder if you were interested in following the path of a medicine cat apprentice."

Hidingkit blinked, startled. That was not what she'd expected at all. Her mouth dropped open, but no words came out. "M-me?!" She squeaked, eyes widening. Jaystar dipped his head. "Only if that is something you would be interested in. Halfmoon says she has seen some signs indicating that you might be a good medicine cat for ShadowClan."

Hidingkit's mind whirled. Was this because she'd been asking so many questions while staying in the medicine den these last two moons? The idea of being an adversary of StarClan intrigued her, and healing sounded much better to her than fighting. However, Hidingkit remembered the serious look in Halfmoon's eyes as she had explained the role of a medicine cat to her. She'd never be able to have a family as a medicine cat. Hidingkit didn't know what the future held, but she knew how much it had pained her to be away from her sister and mother when she first came to the Clan. She wanted cats who knew her better than anyone else. She wanted a family, eventually. And, though Jaystar might not admit it, Hidingkit doubted many of her Clanmates would be very happy about a former kittypet taking on the sacred role of medicine cat.

"No, Jaystar," Hidingkit meowed with certainty, "I respect Halfmoon and all that I've learned from her these past two moons, but I want to be a warrior." Her voice trembled at the thought, but Hidingkit knew she was making the right choice. She couldn't be the first cat to be nervous to train as a warrior, right?

Jaystar dipped his head at her decision. "Very well," He meowed, and with a swish of his tail he padded away. Hidingkit looked down at her vole, suddenly feeling too anxious to eat. She padded at it uncertainly. Was Halfmoon right? Was she destined to be ShadowClan's next medicine cat? She shook the thought away, forcing herself to take some small bites of the vole. _No way. I'm not even Clanborn,_ Hidingkit assured herself.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" Jaystar called from a large rock in the center of camp. Hidingkit struggled away from Fawnspring's anxious grooming, jumping to Sparrowkit's side and wagging her tail. She'd felt so nervous before, but now, she had to admit that some of Sparrowkit's excitement was getting to her. His chest was puffed out proudly, and when he looked at Hidingkit, his eyes shown.

Jaystar's striking gaze bore down on them, settling on Hidingkit. Her pelt prickled anxiously. "Sparrowkit, Hidingkit," He nodded to the two, "Come here." Obediently, the two kits padded towards the stone.

"Sparrowkit, you have reached past the age of six moons," His blue eyes shone knowingly, "and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sparrowpaw." Sparrowpaw's eyes shone excitedly as he peered around the camp, clearly wondering who his mentor would be. Hidingkit noticed with anticipation that Heathershade, a dark brown she-cat, watched nearby, amusement in her gaze at the apprentice's excitement.

"Heathershade, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Cedarblaze, and have shown yourself to be noble and intelligent. I know you will pass on these qualities to Sparrowpaw." Proudly, Sparrowpaw padded over to Heathershade, touching his nose to hers.

"Hidingkit," Jaystar called, and Hidingkit felt her mouth dry for a moment, having almost forgotten that she was next. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Hidingpaw." Hidingpaw looked around the camp, feeling much more anxious than Sparrowpaw had proven to be. _What if my mentor is someone who doesn't like me? What if I can't prove myself to be a good warrior?_ She wondered breathlessly.

"Webpelt, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Eagletail, and have shown yourself to be loyal and brave. I know you will pass on these qualities to Hidingpaw." Dizzily, Hidingpaw met the gaze of her new mentor - the Clan deputy. She wondered dimly if Jaystar chose his trusted deputy to mentor her because he doubted her loyalty as a member of ShadowClan. Webpelt's eyes revealed nothing as she padded forward to touch her nose with his.

"Sparrowpaw! Hidingpaw! Sparrowpaw! Hidingpaw!" Their Clanmates cheered, and none louder than Fawnspring, who's eyes seemed to be misted with pride. Halfmoon cheered just as enthusiastically, gazing at Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw as if they were her own kits. Hidingpaw noticed, however, how some of the cheers seemed half-hearted, and when she looked around, she noticed Quicktuft looking at her warily. _They don't trust me,_ She realized with a sinking heart. How could she ever prove herself in a clan where all of the cats doubted her?

Following her gaze, Webpelt looked on thoughtfully. "Your future isn't determined by your past, Hidingpaw," He meowed knowingly, "If you work to prove yourself, the others will see that eventually." Hidingpaw nodded, avoiding her mentor's gaze. She felt intimidated by the large white tom with black stripes, but she would do everything in her power to be a loyal warrior for the clan.

Sparrowpaw bounded over to her excitedly. "Hidingpaw!" He purred, eyes glowing. "You got the Clan deputy as your mentor! That's awesome!" He breathed, staring in admiration at the much larger tom. Webpelt curled his tail in amusement. "Heathershade's going to take me hunting. Do you want to come with?" The question was directed at Hidingpaw, but Sparrowpaw looked up at Webpelt intently.

After a moment, the deputy dipped his head. "I saw you dash up that tree earlier," He informed Hidingpaw, who's paws shuffled in embarassment. "I want to find out if we can use that climbing skill to teach you to catch prey in trees."

"In trees? What are we, birds?" Heathershade padded over to Webpelt with narrowed eyes. "Since when have ShadowClan cats hunted in trees?" She shot Hidingpaw a wary look.

"I would be a fool of a mentor not to take advantage of the natural skills of my apprentice," Webpelt replied smoothly. "It could prove to be advantageous in a fight, as well. I'm not suggesting we all learn to climb trees, but if the skill is there, we might as well make use of it."

Heathershade let out a huff of annoyance, but didn't otherwise argue, and together, the group of four padded out of camp to begin hunting practice.

* * *

_This one was a little longer. As Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw get into their apprenticeship, the story will begin to pick up pace a bit. As always, thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for the OC submissions! I look forward to incorporating them into the story. I may change the kits ideal warrior names, if you don't mind, but they will still have cool warrior names with those awesome prefixes._

_I'm sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days. It's finals week next week and I have been working on several projects I procrastinated until the last minute. Hopefully this chapter will tide you all over until I can pick up the pace a bit more again._

_As always, thanks for reading!_

**Chapter 6**

"First we'll begin with the basic hunting crouch," Heathershade announced, dropping into a silent crouch to demonstrate. "A big mistake many apprentices make at first is to wave their tail all about with excitement - this will often brush a branch or a leaf, causing enough noise to alert the prey you're hunting."

Trying to match his mentor's form, Sparrowpaw dropped into a crouch, keeping his tail low as instructed. Hesitantly, Hidingpaw dropped to do the same, though she found it much harder to stay balanced with her crooked tail. Anxiously, she waved it back and forth, disturbing some pine branches beside her.

"Good job, Hidingpaw, you've demonstrated exactly what _not_ to do," Heathershade drawled. Webpelt padded over as Hidingpaw remained in the hunter's crouch, her ears burning with embarrassment. "Try holding your tail straight behind you," He advised, using his own tail as guidance. "Just because you have a shorter tail doesn't mean it won't work just as well as a long one."

Determined, Hidingpaw nodded, holding her tail straight back rather than up or down. Placing a paw forward carefully, she found it was much easier to hold her balance now. She looked towards her mentor gratefully, but he was padding away as they moved on with the lesson.

"Now, open up your jaws - what can you smell? What can you hear?" Webpelt encouraged, watching the two as they struggled to differentiate the forest smells and sounds. Hidingpaw opened her jaws to scent the area around them. What she scented most, however, was Sparrowpaw beside her, and their two mentors. It was hard to smell anything else. _Concentrate!_ She chided herself, willing her senses forward.

_There!_ A small scuffling sound, not far from them. Just up the pine tree to their left, in fact, a squirrel crawled on the branches. Almost moving on instinct, Hidingpaw crept forward, remembering to keep her tail off the forest floor. Excitedly, she began letting out a small chirp - rather, what she instinctively presumed to be a small chirp. The squirrel perked up at the noise, before vanishing into the treetops. Hidingpaw sat back, disappointed.

Having withheld himself until now, Sparrowpaw let out a _mrrrooow_ of amusement. "What was _that_?" He purred, "Were you trying to talk to it in squirrel?" Hidingpaw shot him a dark look. "It was right there! I was just excited," She confessed, shooting a glance toward her mentor. His whiskers twitched with amusement.

"Why don't you try going after it, Hidingpaw?" Webpelt suggested, motioning with his tail towards the tree. Hidingpaw blinked uncertainly. "I-I don't know what to do," She meowed, though the thought of going after that squirrel made her paws itch with excitement. Heathershade eyed the tree doubtfully. "If you can manage to get close to it without _talking_ to it again -" She began, pausing as Webpelt shot her a warning look. Heathershade let out a huff. "You just want to make sure you're being as quiet as possible once you sneak up on it. When you get to it, bite its neck to kill it. And don't forget you're in a tree - you have to be conscious of any sudden movements. We don't want to be bringing your body home."

Hidingpaw stared at Heathershade, eyes wide. She'd had a tree inside her house when she lived with her mother that she climbed all the time, chasing her sister up and down it. She guessed that was why she had more skill in climbing, but she'd never admit to Clan cats that this skill came from her being a kittypet. At Heathershade's statement, Hidingpaw recalled several times she'd fallen out of the twoleg tree, but the ground was never far away. She couldn't imagine falling out of a tall pine. Glancing over at Sparrowpaw, he nodded encouragingly, and a wave of resolve swept over her. There was no way she'd admit she was nervous in front of Sparrowpaw. It was bad enough that he sometimes looked at her as a scared kittypet.

Sweeping her gaze up at the tree, Hidingpaw perked her ears, trying to listen for the squirrel. She quickly caught sight of it, several fox lengths above her, and again her paws itched to climb after it. She dropped into the hunting crouch their mentors had demonstrated a few moments before, keeping her tail out as instructed. _How am I going to climb without the squirrel hearing me?_ Hidingpaw wondered as she silently approached the tree. She hesitated only for a brief moment before she dashed up the tree, deciding to go quickly to minimize the scraping sounds of her claws on the bark.

Once Hidingpaw reached the first viable branch, she transitioned to climbing from the branches to get closer to the squirrel. It was only a few branches above her, and while she climbed, she tried to think about how exactly she was going to catch it. _Should I try clawing at it from the branch below it? Or should I try getting up to its level?_ Hidingpaw wondered.

Scrabbling to a branch just below the squirrel, her tail waved excitedly before she remembered to keep it still. The squirrel was chewing on some bark, and hadn't seemed to have noticed her. Hidingpaw's mouth opened to let out a small chirp, and the squirrel froze, looking around. Silently cursing herself, Hidingpaw bunched up her hind legs and launched herself up to the branch, throwing her paw towards the squirrel. Her claws caught in its fur as her other paw scrambled to hold into the branch, and the squirrel let out a small squeak of surprise, trying to pull away. Before it could escape, Hidingpaw tightened her grip on the squirrel and clumsily broke its neck with her jaws, hind legs scrabbling against the trunk of the tree.

Hidingpaw felt a wave of triumph. _I caught my first squirrel!_ She thought proudly, though this pride was quickly diminished once she realized the position she was in. One paw clung to the branch above her, her hind legs pressing against the trunk of the tree to hold her up. Her other paw still held tight to the body of the squirrel. Immediately releasing her grip and holding onto the squirrel with her jaws, Hidingpaw reached her other paw up to the branch, trying not to look down at the dizzying height below her. She scrabbled up to the branch above her, feeling a small wave of relief as she gained her balance, staying close to the trunk.

With the squirrel in her jaws, Hidingpaw couldn't even call to the others down below for help. Closing her eyes briefly, she forced herself to remember what it had been like climbing down the tree at her house, and began hugging the trunk with her claws, slowly easing her way down to the branches below her. The large body of the squirrel tripped her up more than once, but she merely clung tighter to the tree, resolving to prove Heathershade wrong.

When Hidingpaw finally placed her paws on solid ground, she tried to hide the shaking in her paws. "That squirrel is huge!" Sparrowpaw purred as he padded over to her. Webpelt's tail flicked approvingly, and even Heathershade seemed a bit impressed. Pride surged through Hidingpaw. _Maybe I can prove myself to my Clan after all_, she thought with relief.

* * *

The trees began to thin out, fewer pine needles under paw. Further ahead, the undergrowth gradually began to thicken to reeds. A pungent, watery smell filled the air around Hidingpaw, and she kept her ears pricked warily. It had been several sunrises since she had first begun training. She didn't jump at every sound in the forest anymore, and she was gradually becoming more comfortable in their territory, as well as becoming more familiar with the scents of other Clans. _Specifically RiverClan_, Hidingpaw thought.

Webpelt had begun organizing more patrols on RiverClan's border, per Jaystar's order. Trails of RiverClan scent had been found crossing back and forth into ShadowClan territory. Each piece of evidence found caused a fire to blaze in their leader's eyes, but as always, he remained cool and calculating. The Clan could tell, however, that this news made their leader furious. His temper was much shorter than usual, and even when resting by himself, Hidingpaw had seen her leader's ears back and tail lashing irritably.

Blizzardburst, Breezeheart, Nettlepaw, Webpelt, and Hidingpaw were on the border patrol today. Walking close to the border line, Hidingpaw kept her jaws open to draw in the scents around her. Though she was getting more comfortable in her Clan's territory, her heart still skipped a beat with fear at the thought of encountering one or several RiverClan cats, and possibly having to fight.

"Why is RiverClan going through all the trouble of coming on to our territory?" Nettlepaw bristled. "The greenleaf twoleg path is right there, and they're right out in the open! You'd think they'd want to stay as far away from twolegs as possible." Blizzardburst, a grey tabby tom with a white tipped muzzle and paws, let out a quiet murmur of agreement.

"Well, they are. That's all that matters. Those frog-faces don't even know to keep to their own territory!" Breezeheart hissed, claws unsheathing as he wildly whipped his gaze across the border, as if expecting a RiverClan cat to jump out at any moment.

Webpelt's expression was grim. "It _is_ odd. RiverClan doesn't usually have any reason to cross borders in search of prey, because the fish in the river typically keep them well-fed. We also haven't discovered any remains or scents of prey on the scent trails." Hidingpaw noticed her mentor seemed very concerned, but she thought that this was a good sign. "If they're not eating our prey, it's less worrisome, isn't it?" Hidingpaw inquired, eyes wide and quizzical.

Nettlepaw whirled on Hidingpaw, fury in his gaze. "It's still significant!" He yowled, tearing tufts of earth with his paws. Hidingpaw flinched at his anger, backing away with a quiver, her tail curling behind her. Webpelt shot Nettlepaw a warning look before turning with a serious look to his apprentice. "Nettlepaw is right. Even if they're not eating prey, they could be spying, or scouting to ambush us and take more territory for themselves," The black striped warrior explained.

That didn't make Hidingpaw feel better. Her pelt prickled at the thought of RiverClan cats ambushing them, safe and asleep in their camp...

"We have to do something!" She cried with wide, frightened eyes. Blizzardburst padded over to her, a sympathetic look in his gaze. "We are. Jaystar and Webpelt are sending us on more patrols in order to keep an eye on the border, and with the Gathering coming up, Jaystar will be able to ask RiverClan what's going on."

Uncertain, Hidingpaw gazed out along the border, half expecting to be ambushed while they spoke. The patrol continued on alongside the RiverClan border, renewing scent marks as they passed, and conversation was kept to a minumum. Hidingpaw was tasked with following the scent line to ensure that the border's hadn't been strayed over.

"Hidingpaw, where are you going?" The tortoishell she-cat jumped with surprise as Breezeheart padded over to her. She had only been following the scent trail; she hadn't noticed as she swerved deeper into ShadowClan territory. Sitting on her haunches, Hidingpaw's ears burned with embarassment. "Uh... I guess I found another trail..." She murmured, glancing up at the creamy brown warrior. His fur was bristling along his spine, anger in his gaze as he stared at the scent trail.

Webpelt bounded over, expression dark. He sniffed at the scent trail, following it a bit deeper into Shadowclan territory, then back to the border. "We'd better tell Jaystar," He mewed grimly. The patrol finished marking the borders and proceeded at a brisk pace back towards camp. The other cats in the patrol were much older than Hidingpaw, and with her shorter legs, she struggled to keep up as they sped to a run.

When they finally burst into the camp, Hidingpaw's breath was quickened to gasps, and Sparrowpaw poked his head out from the elder's den, instantly alert. Watching the rest of the patrol head into Jaystar's den, Hidingpaw held back, catching her breath as the white and tabby tom bounded over to her. "What happened?" He mewed, tail flicking with excitement. Unlike Hidingpaw, it seemed Sparrowpaw was almost eager for a fight.

Hidingpaw glanced towards their leader's den. She could almost hear the serious whispers as the patrol informed Jaystar of what they'd found today. _He won't be happy_, Hidingpaw mused. As if sensing the commotion, Halfmoon padded out of the den, spotting the two apprentices immediately and veering towards them. "Are you okay Hidingpaw?" The white she-cat inquired, green eyes burning with concern. Hidingpaw nodded. "Our patrol is telling Jaystar about another scent trail we found."

At her response, Halfmoon's eyes turned dark, and she immediately headed towards the leader's den. Sparrowpaw nudged Hidingpaw, eyes burning with curiosity. "Well?" He demanded, ears pricked. "Did you see any RiverClan cats? Did you fight?!" His voice rose with excitement, and Hidingpaw flinched. How could he be so excited for such a dangerous situation? "No, we didn't see any cats. Just a scent trail leading in then out of the pines."

Sparrowpaw looked a bit disappointed, but perked up again almost immediately. "Jaystar says we can go to the Gathering tomorrow night! I can't wait to tear the fur off those RiverClan pelts!" Sparrowpaw dropped into a crouch, eyes glinting on an unseen enemy in the distance. Hidingpaw's eyes widened with concern. "Will we fight there?" She meowed, spine bristling.

"Absolutely not!" Emberfall padded over, fixing Sparrowpaw with a stern look. "No matter the tensions between the Clans, Gatherings are times of peace. It's the warrior code." Hidingpaw's fur began to lie flat with relief, though Sparrowpaw looked a little disappointed. Although Emberfall had never truly accepted her as his kit in the way that Fawnspring had, Hidingpaw had developed a strong sense of respect for the wise warrior. Sparrowpaw was lucky to have him as a father.

"It'll still be fun," Sparrowpaw assured Hidingpaw, and she blinked at him in agreement.

* * *

It was that dream again. Moonlight lit the spaces between the trees. Hidingpaw's blood coursed with ice-cold terror as she ran up the slope, away from the lake this time. Yowls and cries of cats in pain followed her, no matter how fast she ran. Her chest heaved with heavy gasps, and she stole a glance behind her, desperately listening for where the threat was, or where these cats may be. No matter what direction she ran, the result was always the same.

A coldness began to spread up her paws as they thudded on the pine-strewn ground. Gradually, her legs became heavier, as if something was slowly adding stones to her paws, until she was struggling to even stagger forward. "No!" Hidingpaw cried as her legs gave out. She desperately tensed her muscles, trying to even crawl from this unseen enemy, but her legs were no longer her own. They were slaves to the cold numbness.

The moonlight darkened and Hidingpaw whimpered as she felt the coldness spreading up her back, yet again, paralyzing her tail and making her fight for each breath. "Help!" She gasped again, feeling darkness close over her vision as the coldness once again seized control of her body. A sharp stab of pain in her side elicited a barely audible whimper as she took her last breath.

* * *

"Geez, Hidingpaw, are you being chased by a fox?!"

Hidingpaw shot up in her nest with a deep gasp of air, eyes peering around the apprentice's den wildly. Sparrowpaw froze where he held his paw, just a whisker away from the side of her pelt, where she'd felt the pain in her dream. The den was dark and cool, moonlight peering into the apprentices den from the entrance. For a moment, she feared she was still dreaming.

The white tomcat purred with amusement at her startled reaction. "Even in your dreams you're a mouse-heart!" Sparrowpaw teased, but as Hidingpaw's eyes focused back to the present, she saw the deep concern in his gaze. She knew what he saw - her fur bushed out to twice its size, eyes wide and terrified, ears flat, body quivering with fear.

As much as she'd hoped the dreams would stop once she became an apprentice, they still visited her every few nights, disturbing almost everyone else in the den. Nettlepaw had threatened to claw her ears off if she didn't stop disturbing his sleep. Hidingpaw had done her best to find a quiet, distant corner of the den where she wouldn't disturb the others, but Sparrowpaw insisted on sleeping beside her. He always played her nightmares off coolly, often teasing her, but she could tell he was growing very concerned about her on the nights she would thrash and whimper with fear.

Hidingpaw forced her fur to lie flat, taking in some deep breaths. Jaystar had ordered all cats going to the Gathering to get some rest before moonrise, so that they wouldn't grow tired on the journey to the island. "We need all of our warriors and apprentice's strong." Their leader had said nothing about RiverClan, but the whole Clan was grim with the knowledge that it would be brought up during the Gathering, and if RiverClan didn't stay to their borders, it could lead to war.

Sparrowpaw shuffled his paws in discomfort at the long silence. "Jaystar says we should be getting ready for the Gathering now," He informed her, keeping a concerned eye on the tortoishell she-cat. Wordlessly, Hidingpaw nodded, and shakily rose to her feet to pad into the clearing.

Halfmoon was padding out of the medicine den with Raydawn, who looked about to burst with pride. "Those RiverClan cats should be glad they're doing this now, rather than once my kits are out and apprenticed. They'll show those frog-hearts what true warriors look like!" The golden and white she-cat warned jokingly. Halfmoon's whiskers twitched with amusement as she trotted towards the group by the leaders den.

Earlier that day, after finishing a hunting patrol, Raydawn had announced that she was expecting kits in about a moon, and moved into the nursery with Runningleaf and her kits. Despite the concern about RiverClan, the whole of ShadowClan buzzed with purrs and excitement for the young she-cat. Blizzardburst had nuzzled his mate affectionately, gaze warm and loving for the she-cat.

Hidingpaw had to admit that she was a little excited too. Raydawn and Blizzardburst had recently been made warriors when Hidingpaw had joined the clan, and the golden she-cat had always offered to help Hidingpaw when she practiced hunting positions. New kits meant new life for the Clan, and seeing Raydawn again caused a surge of pride for her Clan to flow through Hidingpaw. _ShadowClan is strong,_ she mused, tail wagging happily. The thought almost completely chased away the terror of Hidingpaw's dream as she trotted over to the group with Sparrowpaw.

Quicktuft eyed them with annoyance. "About time! It's always the young ones that take the longest to get ready. We thought you were planning on sleeping for a moon!" Yellowtail remarked, tail lashing. Jaystar offered a nod to the two apprentices before flicking his tail to signal for his Clanmates to follow. A seriousness settled over the group as the began traveling the way to the island. A chill ruffled Hidingpaw's fur as she realized that they would have to travel through RiverClan territory to get to the gathering.

Swallowing past the tightness in her throat, Hidingpaw sent up a silent prayer to StarClan that tonight's Gathering would go smoothly, and that everyone would arrive there - and back - safely.


	7. Chapter 7

_Oh look, I procrastinated some more and wrote another chapter instead of doing my homework._

**Chapter 7**

Hidingpaw padded cautiously behind Sparrowpaw, eyeing the tree bridge as they approached it. Fortunately, they hadn't run into any RiverClan warriors on their way over, but the smell of RiverClan that surrounded them kept Hidingpaw on edge. When an owl burst out of the undergrowth, Hidingpaw had made a mad dash to the nearest clump of bracken to conceal herself, much to the amusement of her Clanmates. Fawnspring had to coax her out of the bushes, and her carefully groomed fur now stuck up in all directions. Jaystar was not amused.

As her Clanmates crossed the tree bridge, Hidingpaw gingerly set her paw down into the water of the shore, splashing a bit up. A hiss echoed behind her, and she jumped. "Watch it! The point of the tree bridge is so that we don't have to get wet!" Quicktuft complained, ears folding back in a snarl. Hidingpaw looked away, watching her denmate nervously cross the fallen oak. "S-Sorry," She stammered, hopping up behind Sparrowpaw.

As their Clanmates made their way onto the island and out into the clearing, Hidingpaw was assaulted by a variety of overwhelming scents. Some she recognized - the watery, fishy smelling cats were RiverClan - the earthy smelling cats were ThunderClan. RiverClan cats kept to themselves as Hidingpaw and her Clanmates spilled into the clearing, their gazes seeming carefully guarded and hostile. Hidingpaw also scented the faint scent of rabbit and what could only be described as open air. Wrinkling her nose, she realized those must be the WindClan cats.

Sparrowpaw's eyes shone with excitement as Hidingpaw took in the scene warily. To her surprise, many of their Clanmates joined cats from other Clans, sharing friendly mews and exchanging stories. With a light touch of her tail, Fawnspring padded over to a ThunderClan warrior and exchanged welcoming purrs that Hidingpaw couldn't quite make out. Jaystar and Webpelt joined the other leaders at the big tree in the clearing, and with an annoyed lash of his tail, Jaystar leapt onto one of the higher branches of the oak. He gazed down at the gathered cats, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he swept over the RiverClan cats.

One of the leaders, a dark colored tom with a reddish brown belly, spoke first. "Let's begin," He announced, gazing at the cats below. Sparrowpaw's tail flicked excitedly as he sat beside her. "That must be Robinstar," He meowed, "Leader of ThunderClan." Hidingpaw recalled hearing mild stories about ThunderClan, how Robinstar often didn't like to let the Clans solve issues themselves, and acted noble about butting into all of the other Clan's business. According to Cedarblaze, Robinstar and the ThunderClan cats always thought they were better than all of the other clans. However, Hidingpaw noticed that the leader looked rather humble, sitting on the lowest branch.

"Prey is running well in ThunderClan. New-leaf brings new life to the forest, and many of our new litters of kits are already showing great promise to be future warriors," The leader informed, and quiet purrs echoed from the ThunderClan cats. "Recently, a group of foxes were chased off of our territory. We haven't seen signs of them since."

Hidingpaw noticed Jaystar stiffen from above Robinstar. "I hope you didn't chase it on to ShadowClan territory," Jaystar commented gruffly. Robinstar ignored the ShadowClan leader's hostility, merely dipping his head respectfully. "Of course not," He mewed calmly.

After a brief moment of silence, the grey, fluffy she-cat with white muzzle and paws spoke. _She must be WindClan's leader,_ Hidingpaw mused. _It's obvious which cat Otterstar is._ The sleek, dark brown she-cat was watching the other leaders with narrowed eyes, sitting just above them.

"WindClan has made two new apprentices, Maplepaw and Stonepaw," The WindClan leader announced, gazing with pride down at two young cats - a light tabby tom cat and a blue-grey she-cat. "Maplepaw! Stonepaw! Maplepaw! Stonepaw!" The cats of the Gathering yowled. The tom - Maplepaw, Hidingpaw reminded herself - puffed out his chest, while Stonepaw gave her fur a couple of nervous licks. "We should go meet them when the leaders are done talking!" Sparrowpaw whispered.

Quicktuft, sitting a few tail-lengths away, shot them a warning look. "Driftstar is speaking!" He hissed, lashing his light brown tail. Sparrowpaw rolled his eyes but clamped his jaws shut.

"Twoleg dogs have been causing trouble in our territory, but WindClan has it handled." Driftstar continued, resting her tail over her paws to signal that she was done speaking. Otterstar stood up a little straighter, as if to speak, but Jaystar quickly spoke up. Anxiety pricked Hidingpaw's pelt - would Jaystar tell the other Clans that she was a kittypet?

"ShadowClan is fortunate this newleaf. Raydawn is expecting kits, and two apprentices have been made warriors. Hidingpaw, and Sparrowpaw." Nodding to the two apprentices, Hidingpaw let out a breath of relief as the Clan cats called out their name, though she noticed uneasily that RiverClan remained silent.

Jaystar waited for the Clan cats to yet again settle down, before flashing a look of fury at the RiverClan cats. "RiverClan have been making themselves quite familiar with our territory," The grey tabby tom announced icily. Hidingpaw was amazed at how calm he kept his voice. Gasps of confusion echoed through the clearing, and Hidingpaw shifted her paws uncomfortably. Otterstar narrowed her eyes, but remained silent.

"We have noticed several scent trails looping into our territory, then out. We wanted to allow RiverClan a chance to explain themselves." Jaystar looked pointedly at Otterstar, the thinly veiled threat still heavy on this tongue.

Otterstar remained silent for a moment. "Have you or any of your warriors seen RiverClan cats on your territory?"

Quicktuft leapt up, fury bristling his pelt. "We don't need to see them to know they've been there! Your Clan's fishy stench has been lingering in our forests! It'd be impossible not to recognize it!" Jaystar shot his warrior a warning glance, though his own spine bristled as his tail lashed with anger. "My warrior, though hard-headed, is right. We have scented _multiple_," Jaystar's blue eyes bore into Otterstar's as he emphasized the word. "Scent trails on our territory. What is the meaning of this?"

Otterstar bared her teeth with hatred towards the ShadowClan leader, but much to Hidingpaw's surprise, the brown she-cat's fur began to lie flat, and she shifted her weight back onto her haunches. "A couple of RiverClan cats have been struggling with an illness that has been resisting our treatments. I ordered my warriors to scout the other Clan territory in search of more herbs."

Yowls of outrage broke across the clearing, and Jaystar narrowed his eyes. "Why would there be an herb shortage in RiverClan during newleaf? Your Clan has more water to grow herbs than any of the other Clans," Jaystar growled, "And there's no reason not to send your medicine cat to ask for herbs. Unlike _trespassing_, medicine cats can cross borders without breaking the warrior code."

Otterstar's ears held flat against her head. "The issue isn't an herb _shortage_," She spat. "We have found no herbs on RiverClan territory that treat this illness." Hidingpaw held her breath, glancing around the clearing. RiverClan and ShadowClan cat's fur was bristling, and they stared down at each other with hatred. WindClan and ThunderClan cats looked uneasy. Hidingpaw noticed Halfmoon looking alarmed, shooting questioning glances towards the three other cats around her. T_hose must be the other medicine cats,_ Hidingpaw thought, watching them with curiosity. Halfmoon and two of the other cats were surrounding an uneasy looking she-cat, who was stubbornly keeping her mouth shut. _I thought regular Clan borders weren't the same for medicine cats! Why isn't RiverClan's medicine cat talking about it?_

Driftstar seemed to notice the disarray with the medicine cats as well. "Otterstar," Driftstar mewed gently, "What kind of illness is this?"

For the tiniest moment, Hidingpaw thought she saw a flash of fear spark through the RiverClan leader's eyes. _There's no way!_ Hidingpaw thought, eyes wide with alarm. However, once she glanced back at Otterstar, the brown she-cats gaze had steeled. "Nothing to worry about," She replied smoothly, "We just need to find the right herb combination."

_She's lying,_ Hidingpaw thought, feeling her pelt prickle uneasily. What illness could be so bad that even the leader was afraid? "Well you can find the herbs somewhere else!" Jaystar snarled, "I will be posting warriors along our border, and unless if you plan to cross with just a medicine cat, to meet our medicine cat, my warriors will have permission to give RiverClan something to remember their borders by."

Yowls of anger and protest flooded the clearing. "Stay off our territory!" Heathershade hissed, swiping at a bushed-up RiverClan tom. Quicktuft launched himself at a RiverClan warrior, and Webpelt rushed from the base of the tree to tear them apart. A darkness settled over the clearing and the yowls of anger turned to cries of fear. Hidingpaw glanced up, mouth dry, watching clouds above completely block out the sun. "StarClan is angry!" Fawnspring cried, rushing over to Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw and sweeping them close with her tail.

"This Gathering is over!" Robinstar announced, hopping down from the tree. Jaystar followed and rushed over to his Clanmates, quickly he led his Clan to the tree bridge. Hidingpaw didn't hesitate this time as she crossed the water, and once their paws touched land, the Clan broke into a quick pace back to their territory. Sparrowpaw and Fawnspring kept pace with Hidingpaw, and she struggled not to trip over underbrush near the edge of the lake.

"Why are we going so fast?!" Sparrowpaw called, eyes blazing indignantly. "StarClan put an end to the Gathering, but we still have to cross RiverClan land. Jaystar's making sure they don't get tempted to ambush us," Fawnspring explained breathlessly. Hidingpaw stared at her foster mother in alarm. "They wouldn't do that during a full moon, would they?"

"The moon isn't out right now, little one. They might look to it as an opportunity."

"I'd like to see them try!" Sparrowpaw growled, eyes dark.

By the time they reached camp, Hidingpaw was certain she'd trod on a thorn, and was limping considerably. Littlepaw and Grasspaw rushed up to meet the returning warriors, expressions curious and excited. However, sensing the seriousness of the group, they held back, bounding over to Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw as they passed.

"What happened? Tell me everything!" Grasspaw exclaimed to Sparrowpaw, green eyes alight. Littlepaw padded over to Hidingpaw, expression gentle. "Did you get hurt?"

"I think I trod on a thorn."

"Let's go have Halfmoon take a look," Littlepaw proposed, easing the younger apprentice towards the medicine den. Hidingpaw reluctantly went with her, noticing that Sparrowpaw seemed quite preoccupied explaining the dramatics of the Gathering.

Entering the darkness of the den, the scents of herbs filled Hidingpaw with nostalgia, and a sense of longing blossomed in her chest. Blinking her eyes to get used to the light, she watched Littlepaw easing over to Halfmoon, and was struck by their similarity. Both she-cats had sleek white fur and green eyes. Their stature was similar as well. Hidingpaw struggled to remember who Littlepaw's mother was, wondering if they were in any way kin.

"Let me take a look at it, Hidingpaw," Halfmoon mewed, turning towards her with marigold in her jaws. Recognizing the yellow flowers, Hidingpaw stiffened in mock fear and said, "Don't make me eat that!"

Halfmoon purred. "I wouldn't dream of it." Studying Hidingpaw's paw, the white medicine cat gave a small nod and fastened her teeth to the thorn in her pad. A sharp sting of pain shot through her paw as Halfmoon pulled the thorn out, and blood began pooling from the wound. Almost instinctively, Hidingpaw began licking her paw while Halfmoon prepared the poultice.

Littlepaw sat beside her, gazing expectantly with her bright green eyes. Hidingpaw realized with a start that the small she-cat was probably wanting to know about the Gathering.

"RiverClan tried denying it at first," Hidingpaw started, noticing Littlepaw's eyes widen in surprise, though the gentle she-cat remained silent, urging her to continue. "Then Otterstar admitted to sending scouts into our territory. She said they have an illness that they have been having trouble treating."

Littlepaw's eyes glazed with confusion. "Why would she send warriors though? Why wouldn't she just have their medicine cat ask us for some herbs?"

"Otterstar said that the problem isn't a shortage of herbs, but not having the right type of herbs."

"Wow," Littlepaw breathed, glancing at Halfmoon. "Did you know anything about this? Did RiverClan's medicine cat say anything at half moon?"

Halfmoon wordlessly began applying the poultice to Hidingpaw's pad, and the young apprentice flinched as the wound stung for a minute. After a long silence, Halfmoon met Littlepaw's gaze, eyes troubled. "She didn't say anything to me," She meowed. "And when we were all asking about the illness, she remained silent. It seems that RiverClan is unwilling to share information about this yet."

Littlepaw's whiskers twitched. "But they're willing to break the warrior code."

"It appears so," Halfmoon mewed grimly, before turning to Hidingpaw. "Keep your paw clean, but otherwise you're good to go back to your regular duties tommorrow. You shouldn't need any more marigold, but I want to check it every day for the next few days to make sure there's no infection." Hidingpaw nodded, and Littlepaw gently touched her with her tail as they turned to leave.

"Hidingpaw?"

Halfmoon's mew made Hidingpaw pause, peering back. Catching the hint, and dipping her head to Halfmoon, Littlepaw silently padded out of the den. "Have you still been having those dreams?" The white she-cat inquired, a concerned expression on her face. Hidingpaw's heart sped up, remember the terrifying dreams that haunted her sleep. She nodded, a lump in her throat. "It's hard," She whispered hoarsely, eyes gleaming with pain. "I'm afraid to fall asleep some nights."

Halfmoon pressed against the young apprentice in comfort. "I'm sorry, little one. Would you like some poppy seeds tonight? It might help the dreams." After a slight pause, Hidingpaw dipped her head in a nod.

A few poppy seeds later, she was heading with heavy paws back to the apprentice's den, hardly able to keep her eyes open long enough to curl up into her nest. Before the gentle waves of sleep took her, Sparrowpaw's scent wafted near her, and he curled up beside her, nuzzling her fur.

* * *

For once, she wasn't standing in the darkened pines. There were no screaming cats, and a bright yellow sun hung over a cloudless sky. Scents of prey wafted over Hidingpaw's jaws, and her mouth watered. She hadn't eaten before bed. The stress of the Gathering had killed her appetite.

Ears pricked for the scuffling sounds of prey, Hidingpaw located the small grey body of a mouse, nibbling on a nut. Placing her paws down delicately as Webpelt and Raydawn had shown her, she tested the wind with her whiskers before padding silently towards the mouse. When she thought she was close enough, Hidingpaw bunched up her hind legs and pounced with a leap for the mouse. The creature let out a tiny squeal of terror, but Hidingpaw killed it swiftly, feeling pride warm her pelt.

"Wow! Good job!" A small voice called, and Hidingpaw turned, mouse in her jaws, spotting a fluffy tortoishell kit running her way. Stars dotted the she-kits fur. Hidingpaw struggled to place who this kit might be.

Tilting her head, the kit's eyes shone brightly. "It's good to meet you, Hidingpaw!" She squealed, nuzzling the apprentice. Hidingpaw set her mouse down, blinking in confusion. "I'm sorry," She murmured. "Who are you?"

The she-kit purred, standing tall and proud. Wisdom beyond her years shone in her green eyes. "My name's Speckledkit."

* * *

Hidingpaw awoke with a start. Bright sunlight shone through the bracken that made up the apprentice's den, and a cool breeze drifted through. Sparrowpaw's nest beside her was cold. The apprentice's den was empty.

Groggily rising to her feet, Hidingpaw wondered worriedly why she hadn't been woken up for training. Surely her mentor would be upset she slept so late? To her dismay, as she entered into the bright sunlight of the camp, Hidingpaw found that it was nearly sun-high.

Littlepaw was choosing a bird from the fresh-kill pile, and once she noticed Hidingpaw leaving the den, she padded over, the dark feathers a sharp contrast to her white fur. Once the white she-cat reached her, she set the bird down, tail flicking in greeting. "Good morning! Halfmoon told everyone to let you sleep. She said you'd been having trouble sleeping lately and that you needed your rest. You must be starving! Why don't you share this bird with me?"

Hidingpaw blinked at Littlepaw. Halfmoon had told them to let her sleep? Now that she thought about it, she felt sure she hadn't had that nightmare, and she felt more well-rested than she had in a long time. She remembered that something in her dream had startled her awake, but she couldn't quite remember it, though she was sure it wasn't anything close to the terrifying nightmares she was accustomed to.

The scent of fresh kill filled her senses, and as if on cue, her stomach grumbled. However, she hesitated. Didn't the warrior code say the clan had to be fed first? Noticing her reluctance, Littlepaw pushed the bird towards her, urging her with a kind gaze. "Hunting patrols have already returned for today. Besides, Jaystar wouldn't expect you to be able to do anything when you're so hungry." Ears burning with embarrassment, Hidingpaw dipped her head. "Thank you," She mewed softly, settling beside the older apprentice while they took turns eating the prey.

"I think my warrior ceremony is going to be soon," Littlepaw mewed once she finished her prey, licking her mouth. "My brother Nettlepaw's, too. Maybe even Grasspaw. They might just group all three of us together for the ceremony, if we all do well on our assessment." Hidingpaw stared in amazement, purring happily. "That's great! I've never seen a warrior ceremony. You all are going to make great warriors."

Littlepaw puffed out her chest proudly. "Dawnfeather says that she'll try to get our assessments organized in the next quarter moon. I can't wait!" Hidingpaw purred in agreement.

A flash of black and white caught Hidingpaw's attention, and she leapt to her paws as she saw Webpelt padding over to her. Would he be upset that she had eaten before her training?

Instead of disapproval, however, Webpelt dipped his head in greeting. "You seem to be feeling better, Hidingpaw," He observed. Hidingpaw nodded, tail waving nervously. "Those poppy seeds Halfmoon gave me really did the trick. I haven't felt this well-rested in moons!"

Webpelt's whiskers twitched with amusement, and Hidingpaw relaxed. "Excellent. In that case, let's work on some battle training. We've been doing so many patrols and hunting practices, I haven't had a chance to show you how to fight yet."

Though the thought of having to fight still made Hidingpaw nervous, she had to admit that it made her more nervous not knowing how to fight. Waving her tail towards Littlepaw as they padded out of camp, Hidingpaw resolved herself to try her best to learn all the skills her mentor would be teaching her.


	8. Chapter 8

_Awesome. I finished my big essay project. I still have a couple more projects to do, but I was able to write this chapter while taking a break._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Alright, now I'm going to pin you down. When I get above you, I want you to try and lash out with your paws to get yourself some wiggle room, and turn around so that your belly is facing up. Once you do, I want you to try and rake my belly with your hind claws. In a fight, this will likely cause your opponent to jump off of you. Just make sure you're protecting your own belly and throat."

Hidingpaw's brow furrowed in concentration. Her muscles ached from the battle practice, but she was as determined as ever to get this right. As Webpelt had said, "Though we may fight together, the battle is mostly between you and your enemy." She kept her paw steps light, tail wagging anxiously.

"Ready?"

Hidingpaw nodded. In a flash, Webpelt launched himself at her, using his much larger frame to pin her down. As instructed, she struggled just enough to flip over, and pummeled his belly with her hind legs, keeping her front paws up to protect herself. After a moment Webpelt jumped off of her, and Hidingpaw scrabbled to her feet. Her mentor looked at her thoughtfully.

"We'll have to work on some different techniques for you, I think," He meowed after a moment. "This is a basic move, but your hind legs weren't quite as strong for the clawing aspect as I'd like for them to be. I know we had claws sheathed, but I want you to try and claw at me as if your life depended on it. Someday, it might."

Hidingpaw's heart sank. She knew she wasn't doing very well at the battle practice so far. She'd been trying her best with every move, but had fallen short nearly every time. When he'd instructed her to try and knock him over, no matter what she did, she couldn't. When he'd had her try the stance, she'd been knocked over like a leaf.

Webpelt seemed to notice her doubt. "Don't worry. It takes awhile to build up those muscles, and you're not often going to do very well on the first day. Let's try it once more, and then we can head back to camp. It's been a long day," The white and black striped cat mewed gently. Hidingpaw nodded, determination filling her paws. She'd get it right this time.

Webpelt leapt at her, pinning her down beneath his paws. Hidingpaw rolled over more swiftly, and put all of her energy into pummeling his belly, this time using both her front legs and her hind legs. Webpelt leapt off at her, gaze glittering with approval. "Good," He mewed. "That was better. We'll still need to work on it a bit, but that might just come with you getting stronger over time." Warmth blossomed through her chest, and Hidingpaw wagged her tail happily. Her muscles ached, but she felt hopeful.

As they headed back to camp, Hidingpaw kept an eye out for Sparrowpaw. She wanted to tell him about her first day of battle training. Glancing around at her Clanmates, Hidingpaw noticed Eagletail returning from the border watch with Emberfall and Dawnfeather. Blizzardburst, Heathershade, and Fawnspring headed out to take their place, and Webpelt padded to meet the returning warriors.

Emberfall and Dawnfeather conferred quickly with Jaystar, but the white-tailed warrior made immediate headway towards the nursery where Rainkit and Ravenkit were tusseling. As he approached, they stopped playing to jump on him, and he licked their ears affectionately before disappearing into the nursery. _I never realized,_ Hidingpaw mused, _they must be his kits!_

Hidingpaw scanned the camp for Sparrowpaw. She finally spotted him beside the apprentices den, and opened her jaw to call out to him. Before she could meow a word, however, Grasspaw padded over from the fresh-kill pile with a squirrel in her jaws, shyly nudging the squirrel over to him. When Sparrowpaw spotted the black she-cat, his eyes lit up, and though she couldn't hear what they were saying, he began chattering excitedly to her.

A heaviness Hidingpaw didn't recognize filled her heart, and her chest tightened, feeling as if she were burning. Her mouth felt suddenly dry, and it seemed as if the earth moved beneath her paws. Tearing her gaze away, Hidingpaw felt her pelt bristle unhappily. _Why should I care that he's talking to Grasspaw?_ She chided herself. _It's not as if I'm his only friend._

Her thoughts couldn't get rid of the tight feeling in her chest, however, and Hidingpaw padded over to the medicine den, hoping she was just feeling a little sick.

"Oh, hello Hidingpaw!" Halfmoon greeted her as she brushed past the vines that covered the den entrance. "How did you sleep last night?" Halfmoon's bright green eyes were curious and friendly. Hidingpaw recalled her restful sleep, struggling to remember the dream that had woken her. All she could remember was a bright field and the scent of prey. That couldn't be bad, right? And yet, Hidingpaw felt as if there was a crucial part of her dream that she was forgetting.

"I slept well," Hidingpaw murmured thoughtfully. "I didn't have that nightmare for once. In fact, I think I had a good dream, but I can't remember it." Halfmoon's eyes brightened with happiness. "That's great! I'm glad to hear that you were able to get some well-deserved rest. You're welcome to come to me any time you feel you need help sleeping again, but try not to do it too often, or it might make you sick." Hidingpaw nodded, staring around the den. A silence stretched for a moment before she confessed, "I think I have a sort of bellyache."

Halfmoon's eyes widened with concern. "A bellyache?" Hidingpaw nodded. "It feels tight in my chest. I felt dizzy a couple of minutes ago," She explained. Halfmoon was already scouring her herbs in search of something that might help. "Did anything bring this on? I know you were battle training with Webpelt today."

Hidingpaw felt reluctant to talk about how seeing Sparrowpaw with Grasspaw had affected her. "It just happened when I came back to camp," She mewed. _Well, it's not a lie at least..._

Halfmoon came back with some large, round leaves. "Here, Hidingpaw. Chew well and swallow. This is borage. It can be used to ease chest tightness," Her eyes sparkled teasingly, "_And_ bellyache." Hidingpaw avoided her gaze but obediently lapped up the herbs, wrinkling her nose at the taste. "Thanks, Halfmoon," She sighed, feeling the tightness in her chest begin to ease after a few minutes.

"While you're here, let's take a look at how that paw is healing." Hidingpaw had almost forgotten about the thorn from the other night, though she obediently raised her paw for Halfmoon to look at. The white she-cat nodded, flicking her tail to dismiss her. "It's healing well. Just keep watching it." Hidingpaw nodded and turned to leave the medicine den.

The sun was setting, and a cool breeze had made its way across the clearing. Hidingpaw felt the breeze ruffle her fur for a moment, and she closed her eyes. Soft murmurs of her Clanmates echoed through the clearing, and all seemed well.

"Hey, Hidingpaw!" The apprentice blinked her eyes open as a soft mew called to her. Littlepaw was padding over to her, tail flicking in greeting. Hidingpaw was again struck by shock at how similar Littlepaw and Halfmoon looked. "Hey, Littlepaw," She meowed, hesitating a moment before asking, "I don't mean to be rude, but who are your mother and father?"

Littlepaw seemed taken aback by the question, and a sad look crossed her eyes as she sat down. "Well, my father is Webpelt-" Hidingpaw's eyes widened in surprise. "Webpelt? Really?" She chirped. Littlepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Yes, Webpelt. And my mother... Well, she died of the same greencough that killed Harekit and Hazelkit, Sparrowpaw's littermates."

Hidingpaw shuffled her paws in discomfort. "What was your mother like?" She asked tentatively. It seemed like greencough was very dangerous for cats. Littlepaw's expression grew distant. "Oh, she was beautiful! She was a grey tabby, just like Jaystar - they were kin, did you know? And so smart, too. Her name was Shimmerleap." Littlepaw puffed out her chest proudly. "Webpelt says that I'm just like my mother."

Hidingpaw forced a purr for her friend. It was good that Littlepaw was able to think back on her mother so fondly. Littlepaw glanced at her, and went quiet for a long moment. "We lost a lot of good cats last leaf-bare," She murmured. "I'm sorry you never got the chance to meet Speckledkit. I think she would have loved you!"

Hidingpaw's world froze for just a moment at the mention of Sparrowpaw's sister, Speckledkit. Memories of a small, tortoiseshell kit with stars in her fur flooded in her mind. That's what had startled her awake last night!

Stumbling backwards, Hidingpaw dashed away while Littlepaw looked on with alarm. "I've got to talk to Sparrowpaw!" She mewed urgently. She raced across camp, coming to a sudden halt once she spotted Sparrowpaw and Grasspaw grooming each other. Her heart twisted and her breath caught. The brief hesitation filled her mind with doubts. _It was probably just a dream. Sparrowpaw was so angry with me when I came to the Clan, reminding him of Speckledkit will probably just upset him._ Tail drooping heavily, Hidingpaw headed for her den.

* * *

In the fading daylight, Littlepaw raced from the camp entrance, eyes glittering excitedly. Nettlepaw followed shortly after, chest puffed out proudly. Hidingpaw purred. They must have done well on their assessment.

Half a moon had nearly disappeared in the sky since the gathering, and Littlepaw and Nettlepaw finally got their warrior assessment. There had been a few minor skirmishes with RiverClan cats crossing the border, but it was never more than a couple, and they were quickly chased out by the border watch Jaystar kept posted. However, Hidingpaw noticed that her Clanmates were growing weary with the extra assignments, and Hidingpaw hadn't had as much time to work on training as she would have liked. On top of this, Sparrowpaw had been spending all of his time with his new best friend, Grasspaw. The pretty she-cat sought him out whenever she was free, and though Hidingpaw had grown to be closer friends with Littlepaw, she felt incredibly alone without her longtime friend by her side. Her dreams had continued, but a bit less often than before.

"I'm going to be a warrior, Hidingpaw!" Littlepaw exclaimed as she bounded over to her. Her tail quivered with excitement. "What do you think your warrior name is going to be?" Hidingpaw wondered, tail flicking curiously. Littlepaw shrugged. "I'm sure Jaystar will come up with something. Ooh! I hope it's Littleshimmer, in honor of my mother." Hidingpaw purred with pride for her friend.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting!" Littlepaw jumped as Jaystar made the announcement, a look of panic in her eyes. "Already? Gosh, I probably still have the whole forest in my fur!" She anxiously began licking her fur, and Webpelt trod over, whiskers twitching with amusement. Nettlepaw followed, confidence rolling off of him in waves. "You've both worked well. I'm so proud of you," Webpelt purred, looking at his kits with pride.

The two apprentices broke away from Hidingpaw, walking with their father closer to where Jaystar looked down upon his clan.

"Nettlepaw," Jaystar called, blue eyes beaming with pride at the young apprentice. The grey tabby with disheveled fur stepped forward. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Nettlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Nettlepaw stood a little taller, quivering with excitement. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Nettlepaw, from this day forward you shall be known as Nettlefire. StarClan honors your courage and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Nettlefire stepped forward to lick the leader's shoulder, and Jaystar rested his muzzle on the new warrior.

"Littlepaw," Jaystar continued, and Hidingpaw noticed the white she-cat's eyes glistening. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Littlepaw, do you promise to uphold and defend the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Littlepaw, from this day forward you shall be known as Littlemoon. StarClan honors your warmth and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Littlemoon padded forward and licked Jaystar's shoulder respectfully while he rested his muzzle on her head.

"Nettlefire! Littlemoon! Nettlefire! Littlemoon!"

The Clan called their warrior names with pride, and Hidingpaw yowled loudly for her friend. Gazing happily around the camp, her voice faltered when she saw Halfmoon's eyes glistening as she gazed at the new warriors, as if she were deeply sad. Why would their medicine cat be sad at such a momentous occasion?

Hidingpaw was distracted from her thoughts as Jaystar called, "Nettlefire, Littlemoon, you shall both hold a silent vigil guarding the camp tonight."

The Clan began to disperse as the meeting came to a close. Hidingpaw padded over to her friend, letting out a purr of pride. "Congratulations, Littlemoon. You earned it!" She mewed.

Littlemoon raised her head proudly. _Did her silent vigil start already?_ Hidingpaw wondered. She dipped her head respectfully to Nettlefire before padding away. Hidingpaw had waited to eat until she'd heard back about Littlemoon's warrior assessment, and she was starving. Choosing a vole from the fresh kill pile, Hidingpaw swallowed it in a few large bites.

Sitting up, Hidingpaw glanced around the camp. Sparrowpaw was nowhere in sight. _Not that I care,_ She huffed to herself. Suddenly, Hidingpaw saw a slight movement at the entrance of the medicine den. She recalled Halfmoon looking quite upset at the end of the ceremony, and Hidingpaw's pelt prickled with worry. After arguing with herself for a brief moment, she padded over to the den.

Hidingpaw paused outside the entrance, hearing some quiet purrs. Curiously, the apprentice kept light on her paws, remembering her training to be silent, and clung to the side of the entrance, peering in. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, her pelt bristled with alarm.

Jaystar brushed his pelt against Halfmoon's, and the white she-cat nuzzled him affectionately. _This can't be!_ Hidingpaw thought with horror. She'd never seen such a gentle look in Jaystar's eyes as the one he was gazing at Halfmoon with now. The white she-cat looked up at him with love, eyes glistening. "You named her Littlemoon," Halfmoon whispered, voice breaking. Jaystar licked her ear affectionately. "How could I not? She's so much like you."

Hidingpaw let out a tiny gasp, forgetting to be quiet as she stumbled backwards in surprise.

Halfmoon had a mate, and kits!

* * *

_Okay so ya'll probably saw this coming, but I couldn't help myself. I love them too much. Even in this life, they can't be together, but they find a way, no matter how many rules it breaks. My heart. *crying noises*_


	9. Chapter 9

_Finals are almost done guys, I promise. This next week will suck but after that, there will be plenty of regular updates again._

_I'm sorry. This chapter is really long. It's so hard for me to condense so much stuff into fewer words. I want to move on with the story but it's hard to without skipping forward, and I can't always do that._

_If anyone has any critiques on my writing style, I welcome them. I'm always looking to improve._

**Chapter 9**

Sparrowpaw stared excitedly towards the pair of new warriors standing their silent vigil. Someday soon, that'd be him! His tail twitched with excitement at the thought of being a full warrior, leading patrols... Maybe he'd even be deputy someday!

"Don't get too excited, you've got to wait much longer than I do!" A friendly purr distracted Sparrowpaw from the new warriors, and he glanced towards the sound to meet a pair of bright green eyes. Almost instantly, it seemed as if time around him froze, and the whole world was centered on those beautiful green eyes.

"Grasspaw!" Sparrowpaw purred after an awkward moment, jumping up to nuzzle her. "It's too bad that they didn't do your assessment yet. But that just means we get to share a den for awhile longer!" The mostly white tom didn't understand the warmth he felt for this she-cat, but he knew that the thought of being near her made him feel strong enough to cross the whole forest. Grasspaw purred in response, gaze gentle. "I can wait. There's still more I want to learn." As if in an unspoken statement, Grasspaw briefly entwined her tail with his. Sparrowpaw felt warm from his nose to his tail-tip.

After a moment, Grasspaw pulled away, letting out a big yawn. "Well, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be on dawn patrol tomorrow, I'm gonna go turn in. I'll see you later, Sparrowpaw," She purred, brushing her pelt against his in farewell before padding away. Sparrowpaw stared after her in dumb fascination for a long moment before it occurred to him that he, too, should go to bed. _I could put my nest next to Grasspaw's..._ His heart thumped nervously.

Before he could take more than a single pawstep towards the den, however, a dark shape crashed into him, and he let out an "Oof!" as he was toppled to the ground. Struggling against the tortoiseshell shape, Sparrowpaw fought to his paws. "Hey! Hidingpaw, what gives?" He growled. Instead of answering, however, Hidingpaw shot him a look of terror, glancing back towards the medicine den. Voices coming from the entrance indicated that some cats were coming out.

"What- mmf!" Sparrowpaw could barely get out another word before Hidingpaw shoved him into the brambles at the edge of the camp, standing over him and covering his mouth with her paw. He struggled, but in her desperation, Hidingpaw's grip was iron-strong. "Shh!" She hissed desperately, pushing them as far into the brambles as possible.

He fought against his denmate a moment longer before feeling every muscle in Hidingpaw's pelt freeze, and she hunched over him, clearly trying to hide his bright white-tabby pelt with her tortoiseshell. Whispering voices echoed from near the brambles edge, and Sparrowpaw thought he could make out Jaystar and Halfmoon. _Why would Hidingpaw be hiding from them?_ He wondered, _Did she get into trouble?_

They remained there for what felt like hours before the camp long grew quiet, and Sparrowpaw felt Hidingpaw relax a little bit. She kept her paw on his face, however. "Please be quiet!" Hidingpaw whispered, staring into him with desperate hazel eyes. Sparrowpaw hesitated before nodding, and the dark colored she-cat released her grip.

"What was that all about?" Sparrowpaw hissed, tail lashing against the brambles. He felt as if every thorn in the forest were embedded in his pelt. _So much for moving my nest beside Grasspaw's..._ He was going to make sure that he slept _real_ close to Hidingpaw tonight to get back at her for this.

But instead of trying to snap back towards him, Hidingpaw's expression betrayed nothing except fear and shock. "Sparrowpaw, I need to talk to you," She chirped, hazel eyes pleading.

Sparrowpaw narrowed his eyes warily. "You need to promise not to tell anyone," Hidingpaw whispered. The white tom bristled. "What about Grasspaw?" He blurted out, ears instantly burning with embarrassment. _What's wrong with me? Hidingpaw and I used to be so close..._

Hidingpaw recoiled as if he'd clawed her. Her eyes flashed with pain and anger. "This is more important!" She hissed, working her claws into the soil. She seemed completely oblivious to the thorns in her pelt. _It must be serious,_ Sparrowpaw thought guiltily.

"Alright, fine," He snapped, "What is it?"

Hidingpaw hesitated, confliction flashing through her eyes. "You promise you won't tell?" Sparrowpaw let out a long sigh. "No, I won't tell," He mewed, meeting her eyes. He tried to will his voice to be gentle, but that was difficult when he felt as if he were being clawed by several warriors at once.

"Halfmoon and Jaystar had kits!" Hidingpaw blurted out suddenly, and Sparrowpaw blinked. "What? Don't be mouse-brained!" He snapped, eyes narrowing. _She's gone completely mad!_ The tortoiseshell looked at him with serious conviction. "I'm not making it up!" She hissed, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "Halfmoon looked so sad during the ceremony, I wanted to see if she was alright. When I went over to the den I heard voices, so I kept quiet and... Jaystar was there..." She trailed off, clearly noticing the doubt in Sparrowpaw's gaze.

After a moment of silence, Sparrowpaw huffed with annoyance. "Look, I don't know what you _think_ you saw, but Jaystar is our Clan leader for StarClan's sake! And Halfmoon, she'd never betray our Clan like that. There's just no way," He insisted. Hidingpaw stared at him incredulously. "I know what I saw!" She wailed, hurt reflecting in her eyes. "That's why Jaystar named her Littlemoon! I heard him myself! Haven't you noticed how similar Littlemoon and Halfmoon look?"

The tiniest inklings of uncertainty crept through Sparrowpaw's mind. Now that she mentioned it, the two white she-cats were nearly copies of each other. And it seemed to be a bit much of a coincidence that Jaystar named her Littlemoon...

Sparrowpaw shook his head. This was nonsense! It was against the warrior code to doubt his leader about something so serious. Hidingpaw could cause some serious damage if she went around spreading these kinds of rumors. "Look," He mewed, "Let's say, hypothetically, what you _think_ you saw-"

"What _I saw_!"

"-is true. That would mean the whole structure of our Clan is built on lies and blatant disobeying of the warrior code that we uphold. Do you really think that Jaystar, Halfmoon, and even Webpelt would do something like that?" Sparrowpaw saw the slightest flicker of doubt in Hidingpaw's eyes. She shuffled her paws. "I didn't believe it either. I don't think I could, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." Her head hung heavy and her crooked tail drooped. "I understand why you don't believe me," Hidingpaw whispered.

A sharp thorn twisted in Sparrowpaw's chest, one so familiar, but that he hadn't felt in awhile. The tortoiseshell looked as if the whole world had been placed on her shoulders. Sparrowpaw longed to comfort the she-cat in some way, but how could he do that without going against his respected leader?

"Okay," He mewed gently. "Don't tell anyone about this yet. I won't either. I just want to think on this tonight. Is that okay?" Hazel eyes shot up with such a fierce look of hope and relief that the thorn twisted a little deeper. Sparrowpaw licked his chest fur to try and dislodge the feeling.

"I won't tell anyone," Hidingpaw vowed. She shuffled her paws, sadness drifting in her gaze. "I have no idea what I'd even say, or if I should say anything. What does a cat even do with this sort of information? I couldn't talk to anyone else but you, Sparrowpaw." Her hazel eyes, filled with so much trust, met his, and Sparrowpaw thought that, just for a moment, it was hard to breathe.

He turned away abruptly, ears burning for some unknown reason. "Alright, well, let's get out of these StarClan forsaken bushes and start picking out these thorns. Halfmoon would know in an instant that it was you who saw them, if you have a pelt full of thorns - if you _are_ right - and we don't want any of that suspicion on you," Sparrowpaw announced. _Or me,_ He added silently, pushing out of the brambles into the eerie moonlight.

Fortunately, it seemed no cat was around to notice their suspicious entrance or disheveled appearances. Signalling silently to Hidingpaw with his tail, he headed towards the camp entrance where Littlemoon and Nettlefire were sitting vigil. Curiosity sparked their gazes as they strolled by. "We're having trouble sleeping, so we're gonna go for a small walk," Sparrowpaw told them quietly. He thanked StarClan that they weren't allowed to talk, sparing the pair of any probing questions.

Once they were well away from camp, Sparrowpaw turned towards Hidingpaw. "Alright, you first, then you can pull my thorns out." Hidingpaw nodded as the apprentice began going over her pelt, fastening his teeth around a thorn, and giving it a quick yank. Hidingpaw flinched but otherwise remained silent as he continued grooming through her pelt. By the time Sparrowpaw was done, the scent of blood filled the air and a large pile of thorns lay to their side. Hidingpaw had already begun licking the wounds that she could reach, but when he stopped, she immediately started combing through his fur in search of thorns.

Despite the discomfort of the thorns, Sparrowpaw felt himself relaxing as Hidingpaw groomed his fur. His thoughts drifted to hopeful, lively hazel eyes...

"Did I get all of them?" Sparrowpaw jumped with a start as Hidingpaw's voice brought him back to the present. He hadn't even noticed the she-cat pulling his thorns. His ears burned with embarrassment, as if she'd been able to hear his thoughts, but she was merely looking at the tom hopefully.

Sparrowpaw stretched his back and paws, noticing the spots that had hurt before now felt sore, but comfortable. He flicked his ears, and a sharp pain echoed through his skin. "I think you missed one, on my ear," He mewed. "Oops! I'm sorry." Hidingpaw jumped up, glancing at him sheepishly before clumsily yanking that one out.

"Ow!" Sparrowpaw cried with a wince, shooting a glare at Hidingpaw. She held a massive thorn in her jaw and quickly dropped it into the pile. "I'm so sorry!" She blurted out, tail wagging anxiously. "I couldn't get a good grip on it because of the angle, and-" Sparrowpaw cut her off by pawing at her, claws sheathed. "You're not a medicine cat. Don't worry about it," He mewed gruffly, and Hidingpaw shuffled her paws.

Sparrowpaw studied the disheveled she-cat. She'd tried cleaning most of the wounds, but some of them were out of reach. "Here, we'd better clean our wounds. Halfmoon will only have more questions if we come back with a thousand infected cuts." A glint of surprise showed in Hidingpaw's eyes before she nodded shyly, hesitantly padding forward to lick the spot behind his ear. He lapped at some of her hard-to-reach cuts, but again found himself relaxing as the she-cat groomed him. Before he realized it, he had fallen into a gentle sleep.

* * *

Whimpers and cries pulled Sparrowpaw out of his sleep. He blinked through heavy eyelids, morning light dappling through the pine leaves and lighting the small hollow where Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw had fallen asleep. The she-cat was squirming in discomfort, expression contorted as if she were in deep pain. Now and then she let out small cries, before growing eerily still. Sparrowpaw's pelt prickled with concern as he heard the she-cat's breathing slow to a stop.

A lump formed in his throat as he tried to stop himself from panicking. _It's always like this, you know what to do_, He reminded himself. Gently, he nudged the she-cat. "Hidingpaw, time to wake up," He mewed. He moved back a step as her hazel eyes flashed open and Hidingpaw sucked in a deep breath, scrambling to her paws, fur bristling. Sparrowpaw watched as she regained her bearings, the fear in her gaze being replaced by a dazed confusion at their surroundings. Clearly, she hadn't meant to fall asleep in the middle of the forest. _We're lucky it didn't rain_, Sparrowpaw mused.

"Always fighting those foxes!" Sparrowpaw meowed heartily. He brushed his tail against the she-cat's side, trying to help ease some of the fear of her nightmare. Hidingpaw looked at him with dull eyes, as if she were not quite back to the realm of the living.

Hidingpaw's nightmare reminded Sparrowpaw of why he slept so close to the she-cat in the first place. He was hesitant to admit that he felt responsible for her, as if, if he weren't there to wake up, one of these days she might not wake up at all. At even the thought of it, that thorn twisted deeper into his chest.

"We fell asleep out here," Hidingpaw stated, blinking her eyes against the morning light. Sparrowpaw observed her carefully as he watched the life return to her gaze. "Guess so," Sparrowpaw shrugged, glancing toward the direction of camp. Their Clanmates would surely question them being out all night together. "I'm sure Nettlefire and Littlemoon are going to have a lot of questions..."

"Little moon?" A small voice bounced over to the apprentices, and they sprang apart, fur bristling, as a newcomer made themselves known. It was a tiny silver she-cat with bright copper eyes, which flicked curiously between the two apprentices. She didn't seemed concerned at all about the two cats in front of her. Sparrowpaw opened his jaw to taste the air. This she-cat didn't smell like any Clan cats he knew.

"Who are you and what are you doing on our territory?" Sparrowpaw hissed, bushing himself up to twice his usual size. Not that he needed to; the she-cat was small enough to be a five moon old kit. Rather than getting frightened, however the she-cat merely blinked at him, staring intently at Hidingpaw, who, to Sparrowpaw's embarassment, was cowering behind him. "Hidingpaw! Get your fur together!" He hissed as the newcomer spoke.

"I followed the moon," She mewed simply, gazing up towards the morning sky. "It brought me to you." _Great, a kitten that's completely mouse-brained,_ Sparrowpaw thought. Sparrowpaw was certain she was speaking to the both of them, but the silver cat was still watching Hidingpaw. The younger apprentice seemed to notice it too. She cautiously padded out from behind him, giving the newcomer a cautious sniff. "Who are you?" She chirped, eyes wide and curious.

The silver she-cat dipped her head in greeting. "My name is Bubble." Bubble turned her gaze towards Sparrowpaw's with a burning intensity. "What is this little moon you speak of?"

Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw exchanged a glance. "She can't be much older than a kit," Sparrowpaw murmured quietly to his denmate. "I think we should bring her to Jaystar." At the mention of their leader's name, Hidingpaw visibly stiffened. "We can say that we went for a late night walk because we couldn't sleep, and we found her." Sparrowpaw urged. The tortoiseshell she-cat shot a despairing look to the white tom, but he ignored it, turning back to Bubble.

"You need to come with us," He mewed with authority to the silver she-cat. Bubble's eyes lit up excitedly. "Great! Let's go!" She mewed, padding forward. Hidingpaw looked towards him worriedly. "She's got bees for brains," Sparrowpaw muttered, more to himself than to Hidingpaw.

As they padded into camp, Sparrowpaw could make out the faint voice of Halfmoon coming from the leader's den. "I think I ought to get an apprentice soon," Came the white-she-cat's voice. "It's hard to guide the Clan properly when StarClan refuses to guide me." Sparrowpaw glanced towards Hidingpaw in alarm, and the she-cat bristled, unsheathing her paws. Clearly, she had heard it too.

Bubble seemed oblivious, walking into the clearing with large, curious copper eyes. It was almost as if she were leading them. Somehow, she knew to stop two fox-lengths into the camp, and some of their Clanmates were beginning to notice.

"Sparrowpaw? Hidingpaw?" Fawnspring dashed over to them, fur bristling as she glanced at the strange cat they had brought with them. "What's going on?" Heathershade growled, glaring at Bubble. Sparrowpaw noticed that Bubble looked a little uneasy, but she held her head high, clearly unwilling to show any fear.

Ravenkit and Rainkit came stumbling out from where they were peering in the nursery, Raydawn hot on their heels, breathing heavily with the weight of her large belly. "I swear, you kits have as much energy as a litter of foxes," The golden she-cat gasped, grasping Rainkit by the scruff as she approached. "You're both getting too big for the nursery. Let the older cats take care of it," Raydawn mumbled through the kit in her jaws. Rainkit let out a mew of protest and Ravenkit shot a curious look towards Bubble before following Raydawn back to the nursery.

"Who is this?" A deep mew sounded behind them, and Sparrowpaw jumped as he turned to face the striking blue gaze of his leader. "We found her on our territory," He mewed, gesturing with his tail towards the curious silver she-cat, who was intently staring at Ravenkit on her way back to the nursery.

"And what were you doing out without your mentors? All night long!" Fawnspring fussed, ignoring the small she-cat to nuzzle Sparrowpaw and Hidingpaw.

Sparrowpaw shied away from his mother, ears burning with embarrassment. "She says her name's Bubble." He informed his leader, "When we asked her what she was doing in our territory, she said-"

"-I followed the moon," Bubble interrupted, tearing her gaze from the kit to the grey tabby in front of them. Jaystar regarded the small she-cat warily. Sparrowpaw shuffled his paws, glancing at his leader. "Yeah, that," He mewed. "She couldn't be more than five moons old, so I figured we'd better bring her by so you could talk to her..." He trailed off as he noticed the small she-cat bristling with rage. "I am _not_ five moons old!" She growled, "I'm _nine_ moons old, and there's nothing wrong with being small!"

Startled, Sparrowpaw took a step back, and Jaystar narrowed his eyes.

"You're right," A gentle voice called with a yawn, and Sparrowpaw turned his head to see Littlemoon padding with bleary eyes out of the warriors den. _She must only just be waking up after last night's vigil_, Sparrowpaw realized. "There's nothing at all wrong with being small. See, I'm a little small too, so small that my mother named me 'Littlekit'." Littlemoon meowed, padding up to the newcomer. Her whiskers twitched with amusement. Bubble's fur slowly began to lie flat. She regarded the Littlemoon curiously, understanding dawning in her copper eyes.

"Ah. That's not your name anymore, though," Bubble remarked, and Littlemoon blinked in surprise, before dipping her head. "No, you're right. My name is now Littlemoon."

Bubble nodded as if she'd known all along. At the sight of Littlemoon, she seemed completely at ease. "Yes," The tiny she-cat agreed, and Sparrowpaw glanced towards Hidingpaw with despair. The tortoiseshell was looking at Littlemoon with pain and confliction, however, and didn't notice him. "I know of little moon. You are the catalyst," Bubble continued.

Littlemoon looked confused - as did just about every other cat in the clearing - but Bubble merely seemed relaxed, as if she'd served her purpose.

It was Jaystar who spoke first. "Bubble, I would like to speak to you in private. Sparrowpaw, Hidingpaw, don't go too far. Don't think we forgot about you sneaking out of camp last night." Sparrowpaw felt Hidingpaw stiffen, but he merely sighed, pressing his pelt against the anxious she-cat's. "Don't worry," He whispered. "We were out together. We weren't doing anything wrong." There was a double purpose in his words; to put any eavesdroppers at ease, and to remind Hidingpaw of their cover story.

He glanced around the clearing as the crowd began to disperse, Bubble padding happily into a quiet corner of the camp with Jaystar. After a couple of moments, Halfmoon padded over from the medicine den, and Bubble lit up at the sight of the other white she-cat.

Tearing his gaze away, Sparrowpaw scanned the camp for a specific black she-cat with startling green eyes. There - she was sitting by the fresh kill pile, a squirrel in her jaws. An expression Sparrowpaw didn't recognize darkened Grasspaw's gaze, and before he could call out to her, she padded away. Sparrowpaw tried to stop the disappointment from sinking in his heart. He had to be there for Hidingpaw.

"I was so worried when you guys didn't come back!" Littlemoon was saying to Hidingpaw. The tortoiseshell she-cat looked uncomfortable. "We fell in a patch of brambles near the water last night," Hidingpaw mumbled, "We must have fallen asleep while pulling the thorns out."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Littlemoon purred, touching her nose to Hidingpaw's, concern lighting up her gaze. "Is everything else alright?" The white she-cat pressed, staring intently at the apprentice.

"We're fine," Sparrowpaw mewed, stepping between Littlemoon and Hidingpaw. The white warrior looked confused for a moment before understanding lit up her green gaze. "Ah, I get it now," Littlemoon mewed, a teasing tone in her voice. She dipped her head respectfully towards the two before padding away. Sparrowpaw's ears burned with embarrassment, but Hidingpaw shot him a grateful glance. _No wonder Grasspaw looked upset_, Sparrowpaw despaired, _I was out all night with Hidingpaw. Everyone else is probably assuming the same thing._

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting." Jaystar called, pulling Sparrowpaw out of his thoughts. Most of the Clan cats weren't far; everyone wanted to hear about the strange she-cat who had come to their Clan.

Jaystar swept his gaze down at his Clanmates before he spoke. "Bubble is a loner. She claims to have a connection with the moon, which she says guided her here. Halfmoon and I believe she may have a connection with StarClan without realizing it. Therefore, Bubble will be staying with us for awhile while we wait for signs to see if she is significant to StarClan."

Meows of discontent echoed throughout the clearing, and Jaystar waved his tail for silence. "Accepting the life of rogues, loners, and kittypets into our Clan is against the warrior code," He announced, acknowledging what was troubling the Clan cats. Hidingpaw shifted her weight beside Sparrowpaw, ears pinned back. "But that doesn't mean that these cats can't accept the life of the Clans. ShadowClan is not known for taking in strays. If StarClan speaks otherwise, we will obey the will of our ancestors."

Sparrowpaw noticed that while there were a few more murmurs among the Clan cats, most seemed satisfied by Jaystar's decision. _They trust his judgement_, Sparrowpaw mused. _There's no way he'd betray his Clan in that way._ But he couldn't rid himself of what he'd overheard walking into camp.

_"It's hard to guide the Clan properly when StarClan refuses to guide me."_ Halfmoon had said. What other reason would StarClan refuse to guide a Clan's only medicine cat? And the similarities between the two white coated she-cats was striking. Sparrowpaw was amazed he'd never noticed it before. Plus, he didn't think Hidingpaw was the type to make up rumors about some of the most significant cats in the Clan.

But what did that mean for _them_? For a moment, Sparrowpaw felt as lost as Hidingpaw had seemed the other night. What could a mere apprentice do with this knowledge? Should they even do _anything_? Just because Jaystar and Halfmoon had broken the warrior code didn't mean that Sparrowpaw had to. It was the warrior code to follow the will of his leader, and StarClan had given Jaystar nine lives for a reason, regardless of who his mate was.

_"That would mean the whole structure of our Clan is built on lies and blatant disobeying of the warrior code that we uphold."_ Sparrowpaw's own words echoed in his head. Would StarClan even view them as a Clan anymore?

Sparrowpaw sat down. His head was beginning to hurt thinking about it. It was all so complicated. _I wish Hidingpaw had never told me,_ He sighed, _then the only thing I'd have to worry about is how pretty Grasspaw looks, not keeping one of the biggest secrets our Clan has ever faced._ Yet, as he glanced towards the small tortoiseshell, warily watching the camp around her, Sparrowpaw knew he'd made the right choice. _She needs me. She can't face this alone._ He pressed his pelt against hers reassuringly.

"Then it's settled," Halfmoon announced from where she was sitting with Bubble and Jaystar. "Bubble will join me at half moon tonight. If StarClan approves, we will introduce her as my apprentice." Sparrowpaw narrowed his eyes at the relief in Halfmoon's gaze. _She desperately wants to believe that StarClan sent her an apprentice_, He mused.

"Don't think I forgot about you two," Jaystar meowed from behind them, and Hidingpaw jumped to her paws, spine bristling. Sparrowpaw rose more slowly, trying to appear unconcerned. "We didn't do anything wrong," Sparrowpaw mewed. "We couldn't sleep last night and went out for a walk. We fell in some brambles on our walk and must have fallen asleep while pulling out the thorns. When we woke up, we found Bubble on our way back."

"True, there's nothing in the warrior code forbidding apprentices from going out on their own. But you two are _barely_ apprentices, and in doing so, you put yourselves at risk, where no cat knew where you were," Jaystar remarked, blue gaze boring into them. "After Halfmoon looks at your wounds, I want you two to spend the next two sunrises caring for the elders, to remind you the importance of having the support of your Clan nearby." Sparrowpaw groaned inwardly, but Hidingpaw looked relieved, her fur beginning to flatten.

"Now, both of you, go get some rest. I can't expect that you got a good night's sleep out in the forest. Hidingpaw," Jaystar mewed, fixing his gaze on the tortoiseshell, who jumped at the sound of her name. "You look like you're falling asleep on your paws. Both of you need to go see Halfmoon before you rest, and I expect you to be on the final hunting patrol at sunhigh." The two apprentices nodded obediently, padding away as soon as Jaystar dismissed them with a wave of his tail.


	10. Chapter 10

T_hank you guys so much for the reviews!_

_ zebra3stripes: ahhhh that means so much to me thank you!_

_ JaySand: Thanks! I mostly use random name generators and collections of prefixes and suffixes to try and come up with somewhat unique names that still work._

_ The MoonClanner: I'm so glad you're happy! I'm thinking of making her the medicine cat apprentice but I haven't decided yet. She does have the blue-grey spots listed on her description on the first page, but it's kinda long to add it on whenever I describe her so I just shorten it lol. And I believe grey (or gray) can be interchangeable. Online I've seen that it's Gr(A)y in America and Gr(E)y in England, but I don't know how accurate that is because I think I tend to lean more towards "grey" and I'm in the US lol._

**Chapter 10**

Hidingpaw padded back into camp beside Littlemoon and Nettlefire, full moon shining bright above them. Bubble sat in the center of the clearing, gazing up as if it held all of the answers. StarClan hadn't spoken to Halfmoon at the moonpool, but for some reason, Jaystar maintained patience with the small she-cat and insisted she recieve training while she stayed in the Clan. RiverClan had almost completely stopped with the straying patrols, and Jaystar was finally beginning to relax his border watch. Rainpaw and Ravenpaw had been made apprentices earlier that day, but Jaystar had insisted that they remain in camp for this Gathering, much to the young cats' dismay. "You have to tell us everything!" The pair had begged.

Grassdaze had been made a warrior several sunrises ago. Hidingpaw noticed that she didn't go over to talk with Sparrowpaw very often anymore, not since they had come back to camp with Bubble. She'd overheard the black she-cat gently explaining to Sparrowpaw that she didn't think they'd make a good fit as mates. On top of that, Raydawn had her kits a bit early, on the night of the new moon. The joyous occasion had been tainted when Bubble had insisted that there were dark times coming for those kits due to the circumstances of their birth.

As her Clanmates returned from the Gathering, Rainpaw and Ravenpaw came bumbling over, tails straight up with excitement. Hidingpaw noticed with alarm that the black tabby she-cat was dragging her feet a little bit, and moving a little slower. "Ravenpaw, are you alright?" Hidingpaw asked at the same moment that Rainpaw gasped breathlessly, "What happened at the Gathering?"

Ravenpaw dipped her head. "My paws feel heavy is all. I think they aren't aware that I'm awake yet," She mewed, twitching her whiskers with amusement. Rainpaw nudged her sister out of the way, standing in front of Hidingpaw to get her attention. "The Gathering, mouse-brain!" She hissed, "What happened?"

Hidingpaw's whiskers twitched. She thought back to the Gathering. There had been a hushed silence among the many cats, and RiverClan's group was pitifully small. The deputy did not go to the Gathering. Otterstar said nothing more about the illness, and didn't remark about her missing deputy, but Hidingpaw had noticed how Halfmoon's eyes were wide with concern as she shared tongues with the other medicine cats, especially RiverClan's medicine cat, who's mouth seemed as tied shut as before.

"It was... interesting," Hidingpaw mewed finally. "There weren't many RiverClan cats there. And their deputy was missing. But Otterstar didn't say anything about it." Ravenpaw gasped while Rainpaw gazed at the older apprentice with wide, attentive eyes, eating up every word. "What else?" Rainpaw demanded, and Hidingpaw shuffled her feet. "There wasn't much else. No cats seemed to want to talk to each other, so that was weird," The tortoiseshell concluded, looking longingly towards the apprentices den. She hadn't had a chance to rest before the Gathering, and she wanted to check in with Sparrowpaw. He seemed pretty down after his conversation with Grassdaze.

"What are you two, a bunch of kits? Apprentices should be in bed this late!" Nettlefire growled, shooing the she-cats with his tail. "If you don't watch out, Jaystar will assign you to dawn patrol tomorrow for staying up this late."

Ravenpaw's eyes widened with fear, but Rainpaw merely looked excited. "Cool! I haven't gone on dawn patrol yet!" Ravenpaw exchanged a word with her sister, and the dark grey she-cat reluctantly followed her into the apprentices den. An uneasy shiver down Hidingpaw's spine as she noticed that Bubble had swiveled her intense gaze from the moon to the pair of apprentices, specifically Ravenpaw. Bubble didn't seem to be connected to StarClan, from what they had seen so far, but she seemed to sense certain things that no one else knew. Hidingpaw recalled the small silver cat's statement towards Littlemoon, the first day she'd come to the clan. _"I know of Little Moon. You are the catalyst."_ A cold chill had swept down Hidingpaw's pelt at the words, and she'd wondered if what Bubble meant had anything to do with the large secret that ShadowClan's most trusted members were hiding. She knew that Sparrowpaw thought the small she-cat's brain was full of bees, but Hidingpaw wasn't so sure.

Trying to shake the thoughts from her mind, Hidingpaw turned her expression towards Nettlefire, blinking at him gratefully. He merely huffed and padded off to the warriors den.

Staring after him, she noticed how his fur color matched his father's. Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw had decided that there wasn't much they would be able to accomplish at this time by letting such a blasphemous secret loose, so they had remained silent. However, every day, Hidingpaw felt the weight of that secret, so heavy that it was beginning to affect her training. The pair had overheard Halfmoon talking to Jaystar about how StarClan refused to talk to her. What did it mean for ShadowClan if their warrior ancestors turned their back on their leader and medicine cat? Were they any more than rouges without the warrior code?

Hidingpaw shook her head. She glanced around for Littlemoon to wish her good night, but the white she-cat was chattering excitedly outside the warrior's den with Breezeheart. _She's happy. There's no reason to stir up trouble._ With that thought, Hidingpaw headed for the apprentices den, unable to think of anything else except curling up next to Sparrowpaw in her comfortable moss.

* * *

"Alright Ravenpaw, I want you to try jumping on Hidingpaw as if she were a fox. Remember that foxes are a little bigger than cats, so try to jump higher than usual. Hidingpaw, when Ravenpaw springs at you, kick out your leg to try and unbalance her fall," Webpelt instructed. The two apprentices nodded while Rainpaw stood on the sidelines, excitedly shuffling her paws. Sparrowpaw observed with his tail curled over his paws. Fawnspring was feeling achy in her legs, so she was staying in the medicine den for the day so that Halfmoon could look after her. Webpelt had decided that it would be a good opportunity to train the apprentices together.

"Ready?" Webpelt asked, glancing at the two apprentices. In response, Ravenpaw dropped to a crouch, eyes narrowed in concentration. Hidingpaw tensed her legs, readying herself for the attack.

Without warning, Ravenpaw shoved her paws against the earth and made a dash at Hidingpaw. The young apprentice was slow, however, and when she bunched up her legs for the leap, something went wrong. She lost her balance and only managed to get about a tail-length off the ground before crashing to her side. Pine needles scattered towards Hidingpaw; the small apprentice was still several tail-lengths away from her victim. Sparrowpaw let out a _mrrrooow_ of amusement, and Rainpaw lashed her tail irritably. "Come on Ravenpaw, quit messing around! I want to try!"

Hidingpaw watched worriedly as the small she-cat rose to her paws, tail drooping with doubt. "I'm sorry," She mumbled, "I just stepped wrong, I think."

Webpelt nodded. "It's okay. You're still learning. Let's try it again. Try to run a little faster and put more power behind your leap." Ravenpaw nodded, determination setting in her gaze as she padded back to where she was. Bunching her muscles again, the young apprentice ran towards Hidingpaw and pushed herself off the ground into a leap. However, Hidingpaw could see the uneven gait of the she-cat's run, as if she had several thorns in her paws and was struggling to set her feet down correctly. Once again, Ravenpaw fell short of her target by several taillengths.

Webpelt stepped forward, nodding with his head for Ravenpaw to sit beside Sparrowpaw. "We'll try that again in a minute. First, Rainpaw, how about you give it a try. Maybe it will help Ravenpaw for it to be demonstrated first." Rainpaw bounced forward excitedly, touching noses with her sister before dropping into a crouch, hindquarters waggling. Ravenpaw trudged over beside Sparrowpaw, looking embarrassed. Hidingpaw shot her a sympathetic look before focusing on her new target.

Immediately, Hidingpaw could see the difference in the young apprentice's dash. She was as quick as a rabbit, and her leap was even and well-aimed. The tortoiseshell barely had time to react before Rainpaw was on her back. "I did it!" She announced proudly, hopping off of her. "Well done," Hidingpaw mewed, shaking any pine needles from her fur. "You were so fast I couldn't even react. Can we try again?" She directed the question towards Webpelt, who nodded encouragingly.

Once again, Rainpaw dashed seemingly flawlessly, throwing herself into the air. This time, however, Hidingpaw was ready. She jumped into the air at an angle to meet her assailant, catching Rainpaw on her back and twisting as she fell back towards the earth. This caused the young apprentice to unbalance and fall to the side rather than on top of her target.

Webpelt added a few notes about each of the apprentice's techniques, and the training went on for several more hours. When Ravenpaw started training again with Sparrowpaw, however, she had the same issues every time. Sparrowpaw was beginning to get annoyed, and he lashed his tail irritably. Eventually, Webpelt encouraged the three to work together on their own while he tried to help Ravenpaw figure out the best technique. Hidingpaw held back and observed the small black she-cat, letting the eager Rainpaw and determined Sparrowpaw practice on their own.

Webpelt began by trying to focus on Ravenpaw's tail, to see if that was causing her any balance issues. However, no matter what techniques she tried, she always seemed to lose balance and struggle to put power behind her run or leap. Hidingpaw was growing more concerned for the apprentice by the minute. The small she-cat seemed to struggle most with the movements of her hind legs.

As the sun grew lower in the sky, Webpelt announced that the training session was over, and encouraged the group to work on those techniques in their spare time. Ravenpaw trudged back to camp, her hind paws dragging a bit behind her, appearing forlorn and dejected. Hidingpaw hung back to walk beside the she-cat, concern blossoming in her pelt.

"Are you alright?" Hidingpaw inquired, watching Ravenpaw carefully. She couldn't forget about how Bubble had stared so intently at the young she-cat. Ravenpaw shrugged off her concern. "I'm fine," She mumbled, "I just need to practice, is all."

Hidingpaw was doubtful, but Sparrowpaw called her over, and with a wave of her tail, she padded ahead. He focused on the route ahead of him, and Hidingpaw wondered if he were going to say anything at all. It wasn't until Webpelt and Ravenpaw had passed them that he spoke. "Do you think Webpelt knows?"

Hidingpaw blinked. "I don't know," She confessed, "I would imagine so, but he treats them like he's their real father, so it's hard to tell." Sparrowpaw nodded thoughtfully. "I think we should talk to Webpelt first," He mewed. Hidingpaw stared at him as if he had two heads. "What purpose would that serve?" She asked, alarmed. She'd thought Sparrowpaw wanted to keep it a secret, but perhaps it had been weighing him down as well.

"Webpelt is our deputy. And, aside from Littlemoon and Nettlefire themselves, he's the only one who hasn't actually broken any warrior code. Even if he knows, he might be able to guide us on what the right action would be." Hidingpaw had to admit that Sparrowpaw had a point. Plus, the idea of getting this horrible secret off her chest made Hidingpaw want to cry with relief. "Okay," She mewed. "Let's do it."

The pair ran to catch up to Webpelt, who was talking to Ravenpaw encouragingly. Hidingpaw could see it wasn't having much effect, however. "Webpelt, can we talk to you alone for a moment?" Sparrowpaw asked. Webpelt looked surprised but merely nodded for Ravenpaw to go on ahead into camp. "What's wrong?" Webpelt asked.

Sparrowpaw looked pointedly at her. Great, of course he's going to make me say it, Hidingpaw despaired. She hesitated. Anxiety pricked the fur on her spine. Webpelt seemed to notice that she was uneasy, and narrowed his eyes. "You two can talk to me," He assured them.

Hidingpaw took in a deep breath. "When Littlemoon and Nettlefire became warriors..." She began, casting her gaze down to her paws. "I, um, may have saw something."

Webpelt blinked, and unknown expression crossing his gaze. "What was it?" He pressed. "Well... I noticed Halfmoon appeared sad at the ceremony, and I wanted to see if she was alright..." Hidingpaw explained what she had witnessed in the medicine den.

Webpelt's expression was unreadable. "And have you told anyone?" He glanced at Sparrowpaw. "Besides Sparrowpaw?" Hidingpaw shuffled her paws uncomfortably. "No," She mewed, "We thought it would do more harm than good. We didn't know what to do with such a secret."

Webpelt closed his eyes, pelt rippling with pain. "That was a wise choice," He remarked. "Yes, it's true. Littlemoon and Nettlefire are Jaystar and Halfmoon's kits." He opened his eyes, gazing at the pair intently. "You understand why it's remained a secret," He meowed seriously.

Sparrowpaw lashed his tail. "But it isn't right! StarClan refuses to guide ShadowClan because of it! They're putting the whole Clan at risk!" He growled. Webpelt glanced up towards the fading daylight. "I know," He whispered. "But what can we do? StarClan gave Jaystar his nine lives, even knowing what he was doing. Clearly, he has their support. Halfmoon may have refused to give up caring for her Clanmates, but we will soon have a medicine cat apprentice that StarClan does speak to. It will be sorted out soon." Hidingpaw thought he was talking about Bubble, but she felt uncertain. Surely StarClan would give more of a punishment to ShadowClan rather than simply refusing to speak to Halfmoon?

"Shimmerleap, Littlemoon and Nettlefire's mother - my mate - she was Jaystar's sister. She insisted that it was her duty to protect her brother, even if it meant going against StarClan. Her loyalty was always towards him. They needed parents, and there was no way Jaystar and Halfmoon could provide that for them while still following their destinies. I loved Shimmerleap, and I love my kits. Even if they're not mine." The white and black striped warrior gazed at the pair seriously. "My loyalty is to my leader, as should yours be, per the warrior code. He may have made - and continues to make - mistakes. But, when it comes to the Clan, he always does what he thinks is best. Halfmoon has known that her options were to stop seeing Jaystar or stop being a medicine cat. In refusing to choose either, she bears the brunt of StarClan's disapproval."

Hidingpaw stared at her mentor, mouth agape. A turmoil of feelings washed over her. Understanding at the wise warrior's logic, worry over what this means for the Clan. But Webpelt was right. What else could they do?

Waving his tail to draw the conversation to a close, Webpelt ran to catch up to the younger apprentices. Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw padded forward more slowly, and Sparrowpaw pressed his pelt against hers, as if to assure her that everything would be alright. She blinked gratefully at him, expression weary. At least she had Sparrowpaw by her side. As long as she had him, she could handle anything.

* * *

She wasn't running this time. Hidingpaw stood in the moonlit clearing of the deserted camp, gazing around in horror. All cat scents were stale, and not even the sound of deep sleep breathing filled the night air. "Hello?" She called, trying to control the terror that threatened to overwhelm her.

Almost as if responding to her call, a cold numbness began spreading up her legs. Hidingpaw gasped at the chill, eyes widening with fear. "No! Not again!" She cried, desperately looking around for something that would help. Her hazel eyes settled on the pine tree at the edge of camp, and she immediately began lumbering over to it. Each step became more and more heavy, but she was determined not to let the coldness win this time. As she approached the pine, she launched herself at the bark; but the power in her back legs was being sapped by the second, and she barely made it a taillength off of the ground.

Hidingpaw clung to the tree mostly with her front paws, her hind legs scrabbling nearly uselessly behind her as she lost control of her hind paws. Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself up the tree, branch by painstaking branch, desperate to get out of reach of the numbness.

Her vision was darkening with the effort and her muscles were screaming. She only stopped, gasping for breath, when she felt the pine sway with her weight. Hidingpaw looked down; the height was dizzying. She had lost complete use of her hind legs, and they hung limply over the side of the branch she lay on.

"Hidingpaw." A tiny voice mewed, and the apprentice nearly fell out of the tree from alarm. One branch above her was a tiny tortoiseshell kit. She looked oddly familiar, as if Hidingpaw had met her before.

"Speckledkit!" Hidingpaw cried. "Be careful!" The tiny she-kit with stars in her fur looked back at Hidingpaw, the joy of their previous encounter replaced by a solemn sadness. "She's running out of time, Hidingpaw," Speckledkit mewed quietly. At once, Hidingpaw felt the coldness begin to spread again, up her tail and back, and slowly spreading to her front legs. "No!" She cried, eyes wide with terror as she struggled to keep hold of the branch with paws that were no longer her own.

"You can't save her," Speckledkit mewed a little louder as the coldness spread up Hidingpaw's neck and to the tips of her claws, which desperately clung to the tree. "You have to help him. It is your destiny."

That was the last thing Hidingpaw heard before her claws lost grip and she fell with a yowl towards the earth.

* * *

Hidingpaw shot up with a start, gasping desperately. Her eyes adjusted to the early morning light, and Sparrowpaw was peering at her with concern from his nest. It was the second time Speckledkit had visited her, but the first time that she had appeared in Hidingpaw's recurring nightmares. With a sinking feeling, she knew instantly that they were more than just dreams. They were warnings.

Hidingpaw forced herself to her paws. "Sparrowpaw," She whispered seriously to her denmate, trying not to wake Rainpaw and Ravenpaw. His ears pricked towards her curiously. "Speckledkit came to me in my dream."

Instantly, Sparrowpaw's eyes were alert, and he leapt to his paws. He gestured for the entrance to the den, indicating they should continue this conversation outside.

The dawn patrol had left, and Sparrowpaw led her to a quiet corner of camp before whirling around, eyes alive with curiosity and pain. "Are you sure? What did she look like?"

Hidingpaw closed her eyes, recalling the first dream she'd seen Speckledkit in. "She had long tortoiseshell fur, but her fur was more spotted rather than dappled like mine. A really fluffy tail. She told me that her name was Speckledkit. She seemed very cheery the first time I saw her."

Sparrowpaw was incredulous. "The first time? Why didn't you tell me?!" He cried, hurt reflecting in his eyes. Hidingpaw looked away, pelt prickling with embarrassment. "I wanted to, but I thought it was just a dream. I thought it would just upset you, and you were so close to Grassdaze at the time..." She shook her head, tail drooping unhappily. "It was only that once. I was sure that it was just a dream, but then..." Hidingpaw swiveled her hazel eyes towards Sparrowpaw, fixing him with a fearful look. "Sparrowpaw, she came into my nightmare. I think something bad is coming, but I don't know what."

Hidingpaw was so afraid that Sparrowpaw wouldn't believe her again that she found it hard to meet his eyes. When she did, however, she saw that his jaw was agape with astonishment and concern. After a long, silent moment, Sparrowpaw said one thing:

"Hidingpaw, we have to talk to Halfmoon."

* * *

_What do you guys think about Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw? When I first wrote this I shipped them but now I'm not so sure. I kind of like Grassdaze, but she hasn't played a huge part so far. I usually kind of let the character's write themselves and when I try to write Grassdaze x Sparrowpaw it seems to go smoothly but Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw feels a little more forced sometimes. At least from Hidingpaw's perspective. I feel that because she's so young she hasn't really been focusing on love all that much. Maybe it will go smoother with time._


	11. Chapter 11

_Here it is. And the plot thickens..._

**Chapter 11**

"Are you mouse-brained?" Hidingpaw cried, and Sparrowpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. He'd clearly never heard her use the term "mouse-brained" before. "StarClan refuses to talk to Halfmoon. We can't just go around telling Halfmoon StarClan's messages!"

"Yes, they don't talk to her, but Halfmoon has the most experience understanding these sorts of messages," Sparrowpaw insisted. "Besides, you can't avoid her forever. She's our medicine cat, after all."

Hidingpaw worked her claws into the soil, wanting to argue, but she knew he was right. She huffed in discontent, but a part of her was relieved. She had been avoiding Halfmoon because she was afraid after what she'd seen. But she had to admit that she missed the motherly medicine cat.

Without another word, she whirled around and padded over to the medicine den, steeling herself for the encounter.

"Hidingpaw! You haven't come to visit me in awhile. Are you here to see how Fawnspring is doing?" The white she-cat purred as Hidingpaw brushed past the vines at the entrance. She blinked as she adjusted to the light, noticing Fawnspring was sleeping, her nose tucked under her tail. Bubble was awake as well, studying the herbs against the wall of the medicine den. Sparrowpaw padded in behind Hidingpaw, standing at the edge of the den. He studied Fawnspring with narrowed eyes.

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you," Hidingpaw mewed, shuffling her paws uneasily. "It's about my dreams." Halfmoon's expression immediately turned serious, and she sat down, gesturing with her tail for the apprentice to continue. Hesitantly, Hidingpaw told Halfmoon about her usual dreams, and the last two dreams featuring Speckledkit. The white she-cat's eyes grew wide at the mention of the small kit, but she patiently waited for Hidingpaw to finish before saying anything.

When Hidingpaw was done talking, Halfmoon looked worried. "She's running out of time... You can't save her... You must help him..." The medicine cat murmured, repeating what Speckledkit had told her in her nightmare. "I think it might be too soon to tell the meaning of your dreams," Halfmoon concluded, though worry clouded her green gaze. "StarClan usually sends us a prophecy, and no cat has received one yet." Hidingpaw noticed that Halfmoon said "no cat" instead of "I". _She still has faith in StarClan to guide them, even if they don't have faith in her_, She mused.

"Excuse me," A small voice piped up, and Hidingpaw turned her gaze to look at the silver she-cat with blue-grey spots as she padded forward. "I hope you don't mind that I was listening," Bubble continued, "But what did you say was the usual setting in these dreams?"

Sparrowpaw scoffed from the edge of the den, causing Hidingpaw to jump. "Stay out of this!" He snarled, "We don't need a cat with bees-for-brains butting in!" Bubble shot Sparrowpaw an annoyed look, but otherwise focused on the tortoiseshell intently. Hidingpaw felt her spine prickle uneasily. "It's usually here, in the pine forest. I'm usually running in some specific direction. I can see because a full moon lights the spaces between the trees..."

Bubble fixed her copper eyes on the she-cat seriously. "You will be safe," She announced. "The Moon in your dreams indicates that you will be protected and guided during this dark time." Ambivalence washed over Hidingpaw. She felt relieved at Bubble's words, but also doubtful; if she would be safe, why did she die in almost every dream she had? She dipped her head respectfully to the tiny she-cat, who looked towards Halfmoon curiously. "Don't you think that your StarClan is telling her that with this dream?" Bubble inquired.

Halfmoon too appeared doubtful, but her voice was gentle towards the small she-cat. "I think this dream has many meanings," She mewed. "They could be indicating that Hidingpaw will be safe, but what concerns me is the coldness she experiences in every dream. I wonder if it's a warning about our next leaf-bare. Perhaps it will be a particularly cold one."

Hidingpaw felt doubtful, but she didn't want to argue with the medicine cat. She felt as if they were ignoring the biggest part - Speckledkit had come to her to let her know that some cat was running out of time, some cat is unable to be saved, and she must help another cat. Hidingpaw doubted that the pair would be able to help her much from here, however, so she dipped her head respectfully towards them. "Please let me know if you think of anything else," She mewed, and Halfmoon jumped up to touch noses with the apprentice. "Of course. Come visit anytime, Hidingpaw," She mewed affectionately.

Hidingpaw turned towards Sparrowpaw as they stepped out of the den. They were a few tail-lengths from the entrance before her denmate spoke up. "Well, that was as much use as a dead fox," He growled. Hidingpaw sighed, sitting down. "Halfmoon said that it's too soon to know anything, but I feel like Speckledkit was telling me the opposite, that some cat is running out of time."

Sparrowpaw nodded, expression thoughtful. "From what she described, something serious is happening, but everything seems to be well," He mewed. Hidingpaw glanced around the clearing uneasily. "That's what worries me," She confessed. "It's as if something is happening right under our noses." She struggled to think of anything that had appeared out of the ordinary, but nothing came immediately to mind.

"We'll just have to keep our eyes open and ears pricked. It's hard to know what to do when we don't even know what we're facing," Sparrowpaw mewed decisively. Hidingpaw nodded, and a meow from the apprentices den called for her denmate. Sparrowpaw pressed his pelt against hers briefly in goodbye, and padded over to meet his mentor, Heathershade.

Some squeals from the apprentices den caught Hidingpaw's attention. She watched as three tiny kits - two grey and one golden - stumbled out, blinking against the morning light. They were uncertain on their paws and their eyes were still the bright blue of a young kit. Sunnykit, the golden she-kit, took the lead, puffing her kit-fluff against the cool breeze. "It's so big out here!" She squeaked, taking in the clearing with wide blue eyes.

Hidingpaw purred, padding over to the tiny kits. They had probably only just opened their eyes a few sunrises ago. "It's a lot more windy, too. Kits as small as you might be swept off your paws by a light breeze!" Raydawn mewed, padding out of the den, eyes shining with pride. "They're so cute," Hidingpaw purred to the golden she-cat. "Yes, well, they're trying to get into trouble already!" Raydawn informed her with a glint in her eyes. "I expect as they get more use of their legs they'll cause all the trouble in the forest!"

"Especially if they're anything like you," A deeper voice purred teasingly, and Hidingpaw swiveled her gaze to see Blizzardburst coming over to greet his mate. He touched the tiny kits' noses gently before nuzzling his mate. "Oh, as long as they're not a Softpaw like you!" She retorted playfully. Hidingpaw padded over to the tiny kits, gently guiding the kits back to their parents. "There's plenty of time to explore," She mewed gently. "Don't go too far yet. You're still very small and your legs will get tired."

"My legs will never get tired!" Sunnykit squeaked. Her sister, Butterflykit, pushed her aside, staring at Hidingpaw with her big blue eyes. "Are you a warrior?" She asked, eyes wide with awe. The apprentice purred, whiskers twitching with amusement. "No, I'm just an apprentice. I'll be a warrior someday," Hidingpaw informed the kit.

"What happened to your tail?" Wildkit squeaked, trying - and failing - to jump up to attack Hidingpaw's shortened, crooked tail. "I don't remember," She mewed honestly. "It happened when I was very little, like you. I probably wandered too far before I was big enough to!" Hidingpaw teased, and Butterflykit stumbled towards her mother with a cry of fear.

"Come now, kits, don't be rude," Raydawn mewed, rounding up her kits with her tail. "Let's go back inside now." Sunnykit planted her paws into the ground defiantly. "But Raydawn!" She wailed, "I want to play!"

Raydawn purred, nosing her kit towards the den. "You can play inside."

Hidingpaw watched them go, warmth blossoming in their chest. She imagined them growing up to be eager apprentices, and young, energetic warriors. Suddenly, uneasiness filled her mind. She recalled Bubble's worrying prediction at the moment of their births. Was the small she-cat right? Were dark times coming for the Clan's newest members?

* * *

A light rain drizzled from the sky. Hidingpaw padded towards camp, two squirrels hanging from her jaws. Webpelt had been impressed yet again by her hunting skill in the pines. As her training went on, she grew more confident in the trees, despite her nightmare a moon ago. Webpelt had worked out some attack tactics with her climbing skills, and she was slowly improving on her fighting skills.

But all was not completely well. The nightmares still haunted her sleep, and now Speckledkit was a relatively regular character in her dreams. She never said anything more than what she'd said before, though. Fawnspring was still in the medicine den. Hidingpaw didn't know the extent of it, as she still avoided the medicine den, but all she knew was that her foster mother was having issues with her legs.

Webpelt had taken up training Ravenpaw in Fawnspring's place, so Hidingpaw was often splitting her training time with the apprentice. Her mentor seemed to be focusing quite a bit on Ravenpaw's training; from what Hidingpaw could tell, the black she-cat was still having issues with her balance. She would begin the day determined and enthusiastic, but return to camp with her tail dragging, eyes dull with discouragement. As time went on, her gait seemed to become more unsteady. Rainpaw tried to help her sister when they weren't both busy with training, but nothing seemed to work.

A shriek interrupted Hidingpaw's thoughts, and she whirled around, dropping her prey. Ravenpaw had collapsed behind them, her hind legs splayed out behind her uselessly. The small apprentice forced herself up onto her paws, eyes wide with fear. "I can't stand on my hind legs!" She wailed.

Hidingpaw rushed over to her friend, pelt bristling with alarm. "What happened? Did you trip over something?" She mewed urgently, sniffing at the black she-cat's legs. They seemed fine, but everytime Ravenpaw tried to struggle to a stand, they gave out from under her. Webpelt had set his prey down as well and was bounding over to the young apprentice, eyes wide and alert.

"My paws have been feeling weird for awhile. The feeling started spreading up to my legs, and now..." Ravenpaw whimpered, struggling once more to stand. Again, the effort proved futile.

"Let's help her back to camp," Webpelt meowed decisively. "Halfmoon will be able to help." Hidingpaw pressed her flank against Ravenpaw's side to help hoist her onto the warrior's back. Once the terrified apprentice was secure, Hidingpaw grabbed what prey she could and they rushed to the camp.

"Ravenpaw!" Rainpaw shrieked when she saw her sister being carried by the warrior. Runningleaf dashed to Webpelt's side, fur bushed out with concern for her kit. Eagletail was close behind. "What happened?" He demanded.

Hidingpaw quickly dropped the prey off at the fresh-kill pile and dashed over to the medicine den. "Halfmoon!" She yowled as she burst past the vines, "Something's wrong with Ravenpaw!"

Halfmoon looked up from where she was standing over Fawnspring, and her eyes turned dark. Emberfall sat beside the she-cat, head hanging heavy. Hidingpaw glanced down towards her foster mother and gasped; the she-cat appeared barely able to lift her chest and head up at Hidingpaw's entrance. "Fawnspring?" She mewed shakily as Halfmoon rushed towards Webpelt to help him carry Ravenpaw to a nest.

"...I feared this would happen," Halfmoon mewed from across the den, voice shaking. Hidingpaw wasn't paying them any attention anymore; she slowly approached the beloved white, tabby, and ginger she-cat, trying to stop her paws from trembling. "Fawnspring, what's going on?" Hidingpaw whimpered, watching in horror as the she-cat struggled to hold her head up. An uneven purr burst from the older she-cat at the sight of her foster kit. "Hidingpaw. I didn't want you two to worry."

Hidingpaw's eyes were wide. "Are you sick? Is it greencough?" Her mew trembled. The she-cat didn't seem to have a cough or anything of the sort. If she hadn't seen her struggle so hard to simply lift her head, Hidingpaw would have assumed she was perfectly healthy. "No, little one. We don't know what it is. Halfmoon hasn't been able to find anything that helps," Fawnspring mewed gently. Her chest heaved with effort, as if she had to struggle for each breath.

"I'm getting Sparrowpaw," Hidingpaw announced, eyes wide with fear, as she stumbled back and raced out of the den. "Hidingpaw!" Emberfall called, but she ignored him. A roaring filled her ears and her vision blurred. Fawnspring was dying. How had she not known? Why hadn't she visited her?

"Sparrowpaw!" Hidingpaw yowled into the camp, heavy with pain, whirling around wildly in search of her denmate. "Sparrowpaw, we need you!" Rain splattered the clearing, soft puddles soaking her paws, but she didn't care. After a moment his mostly white head peered out from the apprentice's den. Hearing the grief in her voice, he raced over, eyes wide with concern. "It's Fawnspring," Hidingpaw gasped, eyes brimming with pain.

She didn't need to say anymore. Sparrowpaw made a dash for the medicine den, Hidingpaw close on his heels. When he caught sight of his mother, he froze in his tracks, eyes wide, frame shaking. Fawnspring's breaths were slow and labored, and the only part of her body that moved at their entrance was her head and neck. "My kits," She purred, eyes burning with love for them.

"Fawnspring, what's going on?" Sparrowpaw demanded. "Why won't you stand up to greet us?" His voice was level, but Hidingpaw could see from how he bad was shaking just how scared he was. Fawnspring ignored his question, eyes glowing with pride. "You two have grown so much. Do you know how proud I am of you both? Sparrowpaw, come here." Obediently, Sparrowpaw padded wordlessly forward, falling to the floor once he reached his mother. She struggled to lift her head up, licking her kit with a purr.

Hidingpaw met Emberfall's gaze; his eyes were burning with pain. She knew that expression. The long haired black tom had worn it when Hidingpaw first met him. It had taken moons for that expression to leave. "How did this happen?" She whispered, her meow almost silent. Emberfall forced himself to his paws, padding slowly over to the apprentice. "She was having troubles with her paws," He mewed. "It just spread. She lost control of her paws, legs, and eventually her tail and spine. She says she can't feel them anymore." Hidingpaw's mind whirled at his words. Memories of her recurring nightmares, the spreading coldness, taking control of limbs that were no longer her own... _She's running out of time... You can't save her..._

_You can't save her..._

"Why didn't anyone tell us?" Sparrowpaw demanded from beside Fawnspring. Her expression was sad and apologetic. "Sparrowpaw, I didn't want you two to worry. I wouldn't let anyone tell you."

"We deserved to know!" The white tom-cat yowled, leaping to his paws. His gaze burned with pain. "We could have tried to help! We could have..." Emberfall interrupted his son with a wave of his tail. "Halfmoon, Bubble and I were here the entire time. Nothing helped, Sparrowpaw."

The earth felt unsteady beneath her paws. _You can't save her._ Speckledkit's sad warning echoed in Hidingpaw's mind. "Sparrowpaw," Hidingpaw called, voice barely a whisper. He looked towards her, fur bushed out, eyes wide with pain and fear. "You can't save her," She whispered. Understanding dawned on Sparrowpaw's gaze, and the grief that took its place nearly broke Hidingpaw's heart. He whirled around, facing his mother and throwing his face into her fur.

Later, Halfmoon confirmed that Ravenpaw had the same mysterious illness that ailed the beloved she-cat.

Fawnspring died that night.


	12. Chapter 12

_Alright I kinda feel like all this skipping forward might be affecting the story, so I'm going to try and do that a little less after this chapter._

**Chapter 12**

The hot sun bore down upon the earth. Emberfall had insisted that this would be one of the last hot days of the season. Leaf-fall was around the corner. Most cats were smart enough to remain in the shade on such a hot day, but Hidingpaw, Webpelt, Littlemoon, and Halfmoon were headed towards the open space by the lakeshore, in the direction of the RiverClan camp.

It had been a moon since Fawnspring had joined StarClan. They were learning more about this mysterious illness by the day, but never did they learn the cure. In some cats, it progressed quickly. It had taken just a quarter moon for Yellowtail and Cedarblaze to go from weak-paws to unable to breathe. In others, the illness seemed to be taking painstakingly long. Ravenpaw had to haul herself around camp on her forelegs, but the fact that she was still able to get by was a miracle in and of itself. Rainpaw had barely left her sister's side, despite Quicktuft's insistence that she must continue her training. There were no other symptoms other than the gradual paralysis of a cat's entire body, starting with their hind legs and ending with their ability to breathe.

ShadowClan had not gone to the last Gathering; it had been shortly after Fawnspring's death, but clouds had still covered the sky. Jaystar was growing more anxious to confront the other Clans about this mysterious illness. ShadowClan was prideful, but nothing broke that pride quicker than watching your Clanmates slowly become frozen with no cause or cure.

When their leader himself felt the illness taking his legs, he ordered a patrol immediately go to the RiverClan camp to find out what they could about the disease. Not for fear for himself - Jaystar presumably still had nine lives left - but with the understanding of the contagiousness of the disease. He had been reluctant to send the cats that he did, but both Hidingpaw and Halfmoon had been in close contact with the ill cats, Littlemoon in close contact with them, and Jaystar sent Webpelt in place of his own presence in the patrol.

Hidingpaw had barely noticed when they'd crossed the scent lines. Her paws were heavy with sorrow and worry, and borders seemed to matter little in perspective to what her Clan was currently facing. _It's no wonder RiverClan was so careless with our borders_, Hidingpaw thought. It didn't occur to her that the reason she barely noticed the markers was because of how stale they were, until Littlemoon commented on it, a grim expression on her face.

Hidingpaw could tell by more than just the borders that something was not right. There were no scents of any cats, hunting or border patrols. The territory was silent except for the soft bubbling of streams.

After what seemed like years, Hidingpaw finally picked up the faint scent of cat; from her surroundings, she knew they were much too close to the RiverClan camp for the scent of cats to be so faint. Webpelt seemed to notice too, for he picked up his pace into a brisk run, bursting into the RiverClan camp with his hackles raised.

The camp was empty. A ragged looking ginger tabby tom lay at the entrance of a den, barely lifting his head up at the patrol's approach. His breaths came jagged and forced. "_Great._ ShadowClan," He gasped. "Just end it already."

Webpelt approached the tom, eyes wide with concern. "Where's the rest of your Clan, Snailfoot?" He demanded. A cackle forced its way from the ginger tom's throat. "Gone, all of them. It took Otterstar's lives one by one. She'd only heal enough to regain the use of her body up to her tail, but her hind legs never recovered. It spread over and over again. May StarClan forsake all of you other Clans. When we needed help the most, we were ignored." The last statement was a gasped hiss. "I tried to help them as much as I could before it took over all of me."

Horror flashed along Halfmoon's pelt. "Every cat died?" She demanded, mew barely a whisper. "What about Cricketleap, your medicine cat?"

A pain-filled laugh echoed from the tom's chest. "She's long joined StarClan, bless her. She tried everything she could to help us. StarClan told her nothing." With effort, the ginger tom, raised his head, eyes dull as he gestured towards a tiny, shadowed clump of reeds. "I don't know if those kits are still alive. I couldn't feed them after all of my legs gave out." His voice sounded callous and cold, but Hidingpaw could see the pain and worry in his eyes.

Littlemoon gasped, dashing over to the den. She disappeared in the reeds for a moment, and Hidingpaw held her breath, terrified of what the she-cat would come back with. It seemed like eternity before a tiny sound called from the den; the high-pitched mew of kittens. Littlemoon padded out with two small bundles in her jaws; a dark grey kit with a white tipped tail, and a light grey and white kit. They couldn't have been more than a moon old.

Snailfoot's expression betrayed the utmost relief. "Thank StarClan," He murmured, breaths coming hard and fast. "Fidgetkit and Smokekit. Their mother named them with the hope that they would remain fluid, free from this stone-like illness." Pain streaked across his expression. "Hopekit must not have made it."

Littlemoon began bringing the small kits towards the ginger tom, but the parts of his body that he could still control tensed up, and he let out a bellowing hiss. "Don't bring them near me!" Startled, Littlemoon sat the mewling kits down several taillengths away, eyes wide with concern.

Snailfoot's breaths became more shallow as they sped up. "It's most contagious now. Please, take them. I don't want to be the reason the last of RiverClan dies," His expression flashed with pain before he took a shuttering breath, head falling to the earth with effort. Hidingpaw watched in horror as the tom cat's breaths grew more faint, then eventually stilled to a stop. She was watching the death she'd experienced so many times in her nightmares.

Halfmoon was shaking beside Snailfoot's body, and Webpelt remained frozen from shock. "May StarClan light your path, Snailfoot. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep." Though her body shook, her voice was strong, and Hidingpaw bowed her head respectfully.

"Are we going to bury him?" Littlemoon asked, eyes wide. She took a step forward, but Webpelt stopped her with his tail. "Stop. He said the illness was most contagious now. We can come back to bury him when its had time to leave his body," Webpelt mewed decisively.

"We can't just leave him here!" Hidingpaw cried, eyes wide with horror. His body would be picked apart by animals! Halfmoon wordlessly padded over to the den that the kits had remained in. She came out with a dark grey kit, and set the small body beside the ginger tom. "I will stay behind to bury both of them," She mewed, swiveling her gaze towards Webpelt's. "I've been exposed to the illness the most. I refuse to leave them like this." Her voice broke, and Hidingpaw stared up at the clear, burning sun in the sky. How could StarClan allow a whole Clan to be wiped out like this?

Littlemoon nudged the apprentice, eyes dull with grief. "Hidingpaw, will you help me carry these kits?" She looked longingly towards the small, mewling kits. Their bellies were thin with hunger, and their cries weak. "I'm afraid they might not make it back to camp," Littlemoon mewed, her voice barely a whisper.

Hidingpaw padded over and gingerly took Smokekit in her jaws. "We'll have to hurry then," She mewed around the kit's scruff, determination filling her gaze. Littlemoon nodded and picked up Fidgetkit, who let out a loud cry. Hidingpaw purred with amusement; that was a good sign. The kit she carried, however, remained limp.

"Halfmoon. We're going ahead. If you aren't back by sundown, we'll send a patrol for you," Webpelt mewed grimly. The white she-cat nodded, and the patrol began their swift pace back to camp.

* * *

Littlemoon stared longingly at the two RiverClan kits who lay curled against Raydawn's belly, who was dozing deeply, snuggling her kits close. The Clan had been hushed into a shocked silence at the news of what had happened to RiverClan, and fear hitched the voices of every mew.

"It's a bad time to have kits," Littlemoon mewed quietly. Her voice was light but her expression was heavy with pain. Hidingpaw noticed with a start just how round her friend's belly was getting. "Littlemoon!" Hidingpaw gasped. The white she-cat's whiskers twitched. "They'll be here in about one and a half moons. Breezeheart will be so happy when he finds out," She continued, "Our kits are going to be beautiful."

"I'm sure they will," Hidingpaw mewed, voice strained. "You should tell him."

Littlemoon remained silent for a moment. "I want to wait," She whispered finally, staring longingly at Fidgetkit and Smokekit. Hidingpaw realized there was more meaning behind her words rather than just waiting to tell Breezeheart about the kits. Hidingpaw pressed her pelt against her friend. "It will be alright," Hidingpaw assured her. "Our Clan will figure this out and keep your kits safe."

Littlemoon said nothing, and after a long moment, Hidingpaw padded out of the den. At the same time, Jaystar dragged himself to the boulder in the center of the clearing, struggling to the top of the rock with his weakened hind legs. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" He yowled. Hidingpaw padded over, and Sparrowpaw sat beside her a moment later. Rainpaw trudged out of the medicine den, watching worriedly as Ravenpaw dragged herself from behind the vines, muscles straining with effort.

Bubble was right behind the apprentices, and curled her tail around her paws. Breezeheart padded into the nursery before emerging several moments later with Littlemoon. Runningleaf and Eagletail sat protectively beside their daughters.

Jaystar gazed down at his Clan, expression dark. "As you all have heard, RiverClan is no more. This illness is much more serious than we may have realized at first. I will send two patrols out to ThunderClan and WindClan to see if the illness has reached them. If they agree, I want to send a patrol to the Tribe Of Rushing Water, to ask their Stoneteller if he knows of any cures for such an illness." Hidingpaw blinked in confusion. _The Tribe Of Rushing Water?_ She wondered. She'd never heard the term.

Gasps echoed throughout the clearing. Hidingpaw assumed under any other circumstances, ShadowClan would refuse help from other Clans, but most of the ShadowClan cats seemed to be aware of the dangers this illness posed. A grim determination settled upon the expressions of most of the Clan cats.

"Eagletail, Heathershade, and Nettlefire. You three shall travel to ThunderClan. Emberfall, Breezeheart, and Blizzardburst; you three shall travel to WindClan. Both patrols shall leave at once and return as soon as possible." The chosen cats nodded obediently, and gathered near the entrance before departing on their missions. Hidingpaw noticed that Blizzardburst gazed longingly towards the nursery. _He's worried about his kits,_ She realized.

"Webpelt, Hidingpaw, Dawnfeather, and Sparrowpaw. I know two of you just got back from RiverClan, but I'd like to keep the fresh-kill pile stocked. Leaf-fall is nearly here and we don't know how this illness will progress." Hidingpaw's heart sank and her paws ached at the thought of having to go back out again after such a long trek, but she merely dipped her head respectfully.

"This will be a good opportunity to work on your team hunting skills," Webpelt meowed once they were dismissed. Dawnfeather padded over to them, her feathery tail waving with greeting. Hidingpaw assumed that Jaystar assigned Dawnfeather to the patrol in place of Sparrowpaw's mentor, Heathershade, who had left on one of the patrols for WindClan. Sparrowpaw's tail dragged behind him and he kept his gaze fixed on his feet. Hidingpaw brushed against his side, trying to catch her denmate's eye. He had been like this ever since Fawnspring's death.

"Let's head to the northern border. We haven't hunted over there in awhile," Dawnfeather suggested, and Webpelt dipped his head as the patrol silently stalked through the trees.

Soon enough, Hidingpaw caught scent of a rabbit, and she dropped into a crouch, glancing over at Sparrowpaw. He'd scented the creature as well, and his formerly dull stature was tense and alert. He circled well around the rabbit's location, padding forward from the opposite direction. Hidingpaw waited silently, scarcely daring to breathe. After a moment, Hidingpaw heard Sparrowpaw pounce, and the telltale brush of pine needles as he gave chase to his prey. When the rabbit came into Hidingpaw's view, it didn't even see her, and she was able to pounce on it, killing it quickly with a single bite.

"Wow! This one will feed the whole nursery!" Hidingpaw purred, raising her hazel eyes to look at Sparrowpaw. He didn't meet her gaze. "Yeah, whatever," He muttered, "Let's just find some more prey." Hidingpaw's heart sank at his cold attitude towards her. She wondered if he was blaming her for Fawnspring's death, in the same way he'd blamed her for Speckledkit's. She buried her prey, glancing around, but Dawnfeather and Webpelt were nowhere in sight. Perhaps they'd gone off to hunt together.

Hidingpaw padded silently behind Sparrowpaw, senses alert for the sounds or smells of prey. After a moment, she spotted a squirrel scurrying towards a pine tree near them, and before she could even think she raced after it, dashing a fox-length up the tree before she reached the squirrel.

Leaping down from the tree, Hidingpaw scuffed earth over her catch, just in time to see Sparrowpaw returning with a fat mouse in his jaws. "Good catch!" She chirped, and the white tom shrugged. "You too," He mumbled after a moment.

Suddenly, a thick, sharp scent Hidingpaw didn't recognize filled the air. She wrinkled her nose. "What is _that_?" She hissed, noticing that Sparrowpaw's fur was bushed up and his eyes were wide and alert.

She only saw a flash of the narrow, reddish muzzle, and glistening teeth before it attacked. Terror coursed through Hidingpaw's veins; time seemed to slow as she watched the fox fly towards her. For once, she wasn't the hunter; she was the prey.

"Fox!" Sparrowpaw howled, leaping at the dog-like creature with his claws unsheathed, unbalancing the fox from it's intended target. Hidingpaw stared numbly for a moment, watching in horror, before she shook herself and clawed up the fox's other side, raking it's thick fur with long scratches.

The fox whipped around, fixing it's gaze on her and snapping at her tail with its jaws. Hidingpaw let out a whimper as sharp teeth caught the tip of her tail, but she hung on for dear life, sliding down to its ankles and biting hard on its limb's. She dashed out of the way as the fox snapped for her again, diving back into the fray and climbing the fox once more, clawing at the skin along its neck and face. Sparrowpaw was underneath the fox, raking its belly, and the reeking creature let out a growl, whipping it's head to try and shake Hidingpaw off.

She held fast, clamping her jaws into the foxes shoulder. Adrenaline burst through her veins; she couldn't see Sparrowpaw anymore, and she prayed to StarClan that he was alright. Suddenly, the force of the fox's thrashing caused her paws to slip, and she was flung into the air, crashing into the nearby pine with the breath forced out of her.

Dazed, she could only sit there a moment and listen to the seemingly distant sounds of the fray. Sparrowpaw's hiss shook her out of it. "Hidingpaw! Bite and claw at its feet! We need to chase it out of here!" Limbs shaking, she forced herself to a stand, and dashed over to Sparrowpaw's side, swiping in unison at the fox's legs, nipping at one before running to the next.

The fox lunged for Sparrowpaw, and Hidingpaw dashed in front of him just in time, letting out a yowl of pain as she felt its teeth sink into her side. Forcing her pain aside, Hidingpaw swiped at the fox's muzzle. The fox continued to thrash and try and snap at the apprentices for a few more moments, but it finally let out a low growl and ran toward the northern border. Hidingpaw and Sparrowpaw followed it, hissing and swiping, until the stench of fox had faded and it was clear the threat was gone.

Hidingpaw collapsed with exhaustion, the trees spinning above her. "Hidingpaw! Hidingpaw, are you alright?" Sparrowpaw's voice sounded distant, as if she were underwater. At once, other voices joined in, and Hidingpaw recognized Webpelt's and Dawnfeather's, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

She'd just fought a fox! A glimmer of pride burst through her, despite how dazed she felt. She couldn't let herself look so weak afterwards, her mentor had to know how hard they'd fought. Shakily, Hidingpaw tried to regain control of her paws, her balance weak. "Webpelt!" She called, swiveling her gaze in search of her black striped mentor. At once, Dawnfeather's gentle face was beside Hidingpaw, her side pressed against her pelt to help support the apprentice. "He went to go make sure the fox crossed the border, Hidingpaw. Let's get you back to camp. You've got some nasty wounds."

Hidingpaw's voice shook weakly. "Sparrowpaw, where's Sparrowpaw?" She demanded, eyes closing with dizziness. After a moment, his scent drifted over to her, thick with fear. "I'm right here, Hidingpaw. I got some cobwebs," He mewed, voice muffled.

Hidingpaw's legs gave out once more and she let out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad you're okay," She mewed, voice barely a whisper. At once, the darkness closed around her.

* * *

Sparrowpaw watched in horror as the tortoiseshell she-cat lost consciousness. Immediately, he pressed some cobwebs into her side where a large bite was pulsing blood. They were soaked almost instantly. _No! She can't die. I can't lose her, too!_ Sparrowpaw despaired, forcing more cobwebs into the wound. He had a couple of scratches, but Hidingpaw had clearly suffered the most from the fox wounds.

"Let's carry her back to camp, Sparrowpaw. Hurry!" Dawnfeather urged, pressing her flank against the unconscious she-cat's. Obediently, Sparrowpaw did the same, and as fast as they could without disturbing the cobwebs, they rushed her back to camp.

As soon as they burst into the clearing, Halfmoon ran forward, eyes wide. "What happened?" She mewed with alarm. "Fox," Sparrowpaw gasped gruffly as they brought the apprentice over to the medicine den. Setting her carefully in one of the nests, Sparrowpaw sniffed the she-cat, gently checking the cobwebs that he'd put on her bites.

"Sparrowpaw, I know you're worried, but you're going to have to let me work," Halfmoon mewed grimly, a bundle of herbs in her jaws. Bubble was right behind her, carrying cobwebs. Sparrowpaw obediently stepped back, but he hung at the edge of the den, pelt bristling with worry. Dawnfeather brushed her tail against his back, shooting him a sympathetic look before heading out. "She'll be alright. If anyone can help her, Halfmoon can." Sparrowpaw wasn't convinced; how could their medicine cat help anyone if she was rejected even by StarClan?

After several long moments, Webpelt poked his head into the den. "The fox is gone. Sparrowpaw, Jaystar wants to speak with you." Tearing his gaze away from Hidingpaw's battered pelt, Sparrowpaw trudged out of the medicine den, tail drooping wearily. _When will it stop?_ He wondered. The thorn in his chest seemed to be twisting even deeper than ever before.

Jaystar was waiting with Webpelt and Dawnfeather beside the den. "Sparrowpaw," He greeted as the white and tabby tom approached. "Tell me what happened." Heavy in his heart, Sparrowpaw recounted how they had been hunting together and had scented the fox, and the battle that had ensued.

The grey tabby leader listened carefully until Sparrowpaw was done talking, before turning to Webpelt. "Where were you two?" He mewed coolly. Webpelt winced, but Sparrowpaw felt a flash of smugness ripple his pelt. _Where _were_ you?_ He wondered.

"Before Heathershade left on the patrol, she discussed with me about how she thought Sparrowpaw was ready to be a warrior. She suggested that I observe the two of them, if I got the chance, to see what I thought." Despite how the hunting patrol had turned out, Webpelt looked towards Sparrowpaw with pride.

Dawnfeather stepped forward, dipping her head respectfully towards her leader. "They both showed excellent hunting skills, both as a team and on their own. They fought like warriors against that fox today. The only reason Hidingpaw was so badly wounded was because she jumped to protect her Clanmate, as a warrior should." Dawnfeather put emphasis on the word _warrior_, and Sparrowpaw froze, his heartbeat quickening. Was she really saying what he thought she was?

Jaystar gazed at them for several long moments before nodding. "Very well. Sparrowpaw, when Hidingpaw recovers, you both shall be made warriors of ShadowClan." Sparrowpaw could scarcely believe his ears. The aches and scratches in his pelt seemed negligible. He was going to be a warrior!

Suddenly, his heart dropped, and he looked with dismay towards the medicine den. _But at what cost?_ Fury filled his paws, and he whirled on his deputy and Dawnfeather. "Hidingpaw could _die_ because you two decided to just sit and watch! We've never fought a fox before!" Dawnfeather winced at his rough words, but Webpelt's expression remained level. "Hidingpaw will recover. She's stronger than you think, Sparrowpaw, and though the wound was deep, it wasn't fatal. Part of being a warrior is being able to handle the unexpected in order to protect your Clan."

Sparrowpaw couldn't believe what he was hearing. Furious, he stormed away, running back towards the medicine den. Rainpaw stood beside Halfmoon as she instructed Ravenpaw through some exercises for her upper body. The she-cat strained with effort, determination in her eyes. Looking away, Sparrowpaw saw that Hidingpaw's cobweb dressings had been changed, and the scent of herbs clung heavy to her pelt. Her breathing was deep and level. Gently, Sparrowpaw laid down beside the she-cat, pressing his nose into her pelt.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The sun was nearly down by the time the small she-cat stirred beside him. Her hazel eyes fluttered open in confusion, and once Sparrowpaw was certain Hidingpaw was fully there, he sat up and stretched his limbs, licking his chest to hide the relief in his eyes. "How are you feeling?" He asked awkwardly, avoiding the she-cat's eyes. Hidingpaw looked around in confusion, and she started to stand, but winced, flopping back down into her nest.

"Well, I'm fine except for that," She mewed lightly, glancing towards her bandaged wound. The thorn in Sparrowpaw's chest twisted just a tiny bit. Once again, Hidingpaw was hurt because of him. "I'm sorry," He blurted out before he could stop himself. Hidingpaw glanced up, surprised. "What? Why?"

"It's because of me that the fox hurt you. You were just trying to protect me-"

Hidingpaw placed her paw on his face to shut him up, and he jerked back with surprise. Hidingpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Shut up, mouse-brain. I'm fine," She purred. "I'm just glad _you're_ okay," She added shyly, looking down at her paws. Sparrowpaw's mouth felt dry. "Jaystar said we're going to become warriors," He meowed quickly, and her bright hazel eyes met his, bursting with excitement and confusion.

"What? Really?" Hidingpaw meowed, trying to force herself up. She winced and fell down again. "I hope you're not moving too much over there!" Halfmoon called from where she was sorting herbs with Bubble. "If I have to redress your wound because it started bleeding again, I'll make you replace all of the bedding in the camp before Jaystar makes you a warrior!" Halfmoon warned, and Hidingpaw plopped back down, eyes wide with fear. Sparrowpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement, and a warm feeling spread through his chest.

The meows of cats outside hinted that the patrols had come back from ThunderClan and WindClan. Seeing the curiosity in Hidingpaw's eyes, Sparrowpaw's whiskers twitched. "I'll go check it out," He promised, and her hazel eyes flooded with gratitude, warming the tom from his nose to his tail-tip. Dipping his head, Sparrowpaw backed out of the den, ears pricked to determine what was going on.

Breezeheart was bristling beside Emberfall and Blizzardburst. "WindClan has closed their borders!" The cream colored tom hissed, hackles raised. "They chased us off as soon as we crossed their border markers."

Jaystar's eyes narrowed. "Clearly they know about RiverClan," He mewed, turning to the second patrol as they padded into the clearing. "And ThunderClan?" He inquired, expression betraying nothing.

Eagletail stepped forward. "The illness has only afflicted one ThunderClan cat so far, but they are happy to send some cats to the Tribe Of Rushing Water in search of a cure, especially after we told them about RiverClan," He mewed, white tail flicking. "Robinstar suggested meeting at the northernmost border tomorrow at dawn."

Jaystar dipped his head, then struggled to his feet, dragging his hind paws behind him as he fought to climb the great rock. Sparrowpaw bristled; he'd never seen his leader in such a weakened state. Could he even make it to the top of the rock? Yet, after another moment of struggle, his leader collapsed into an exhausted heap at the top of the rock, waiting a moment to catch his breath before he yowled out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!"

Sparrowpaw padded a little closer, watching as the cats in the medicine den - with the exception of Ravenpaw and Hidingpaw - made their way into the clearing. Quicktuft and Dawnfeather pulled apart from their conversation and joined the cats in the clearing.

"Cats of ShadowClan. Our Clans face a threat not like any we've faced before, with the exception of the events leading to the Great Journey. This illness is strong enough to wipe out an entire Clan. Clearly, no combination of herbs in this area has been enough to fight it. Therefore, I'm going to be sending a group of cats to the Tribe Of Rushing Water, to determine if they might know of a cure for such an illness. Does any cat want to volunteer for such a journey?"

Breezeheart stepped forward, head held high. "I do. If only to prove to those WindClan cats that nothing is accomplished by hiding." Jaystar opened his mouth, Sparrowpaw assumed to agree, but before he could utter a word, a white flash dashed across the clearing.

"No!" Littlemoon cried, her eyes wide with fear. "You can't go!" Breezeheart blinked at his mate in alarm. "What? Why?" He meowed incredulously. Littlemoon dug her claws into the earth; her normally calm and gentle demeaner replaced by uneasiness and fear. "I'm expecting kits!" She wailed.

Silence filled the clearing. The announcement, which should have been happy, was filled with pain. Clearly, the she-cat understood the risk that came with having kits with this mysterious illness running through the Clan.

Breezeheart's eyes were wide with surprise. "What? Really?" He broke out into a loud purr, nuzzling against the white she-cat. He seemed oblivious to the fear in her voice. "Of course I'll stay!" He assured her, eyes wide with love. Sparrowpaw withheld a snort. Since when was Breezeheart such a softy?

Jaystar nodded, though Sparrowpaw noted his eyes were brimming with pride. _Of course, those are _his_ grandkids_, Sparrowpaw mused, eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me," A small voice spoke up, and the mostly white tom swiveled his gaze to find the source of the noise. Runningleaf was padding forward from beside the warriors den. "Has StarClan told us anything about this illness? Surely an illness so bad that it wipes out an entire Clan would have recieved a warning from StarClan?"

Murmurs of agreement broke out into the clearing. Sparrowpaw watched intently, wondering what his leader's response would be.

But it was Halfmoon who spoke up. "When we traveled to RiverClan, Snailfoot told us that Cricketleap hadn't recieved any signs from StarClan. From the way he spoke, it sounded as if the Clan had accepted that they were abandoned. By StarClan, and by us." Her voice dropped to a whisper at the last statement, and her head hung heavy with shame for a long moment, before she raised her eyes. "I have recieved no signs from StarClan. Neither has Bubble." Murmurs of fear and discontent echoed through the clearing. The Clan hadn't truly accepted Bubble yet - Sparrowpaw hadn't, for sure - but some sign would be better than nothing.

Yet, Halfmoon was not done. "However, one cat has been recieving dreams for many moons now. Hidingpaw has had repeated dreams that now reveal themselves to be warnings about this paralyzing illness." Sparrowpaw stiffened. How dare the medicine cat throw out Hidingpaw's name like that. Hidingpaw's dreams hardly told her anything, except how terrifying this disease was. _And that Fawnspring would die_, He remembered, feeling the thorn tighten in his chest.

Before he knew what he was doing, Sparrowpaw had stepped forward, fur bristling, staring out at the cats around him. "The only thing Hidingpaw's nightmares have shown is how terrifying this disease truly is. They have revealed no way of finding a cure or surviving beyond this. Halfmoon has known about these dreams from the start, but she repeatedly told Hidingpaw that it was too soon to understand their meaning. And then Fawnspring died." His voice shook on the last note, but his gaze remained level with both his leader and his Clanmates. "Obviously, Hidingpaw would let us know if anything helpful appeared in her nightmares, but she's not a medicine cat." He spat the last word, shooting Halfmoon an accusatory look. Jaystar narrowed his eyes. "She shouldn't be expected to decipher StarClan's messages," Sparrowpaw concluded, lashing his tail as he sat down.

After a long moment, Jaystar dipped his head. "Sparrowpaw is right. Hidingpaw's dreams have told us what we need to know - that this illness is dangerous, and must be taken seriously. StarClan is not all-powerful. They can guide us, but they can't prevent tragedies from happening. Such was true in the case of the Great Journey. Perhaps they didn't send RiverClan any tangible warnings because it was too late to save them from this. But the fact that they have sent warnings to one of ShadowClan's apprentices proves that it's not too late for us. I believe that this is proof in itself that we're approaching this correctly."

Quiet talk echoed through the clearing, and Jaystar waited a moment for it to quiet down. After a couple more moments, Runningleaf stepped forward. "I'll go to the Tribe Of Rushing Water. I will do whatever it takes to help Ravenpaw get better." Her voice shook on the last note; she knew full well that she might be coming back far too late to save her daughter.

Nettlefire stepped forward as well. "I'll go too." He announced. Sparrowpaw noticed Halfmoon tense. Clearly, she wasn't comfortable with her kit going on such a long journey. However, Jaystar merely dipped his head in acceptance. "Then, if the journeying cats are picked..."

A small voice rose above the rest, and Sparrowpaw watched with narrowed eyes as Bubble stepped forward. She looked apologetically towards Halfmoon before fixing Jaystar with an intent gaze. "I must come too," Bubble announced. "I must follow the Moon out of the shadows."

Murmurs of discontent echoed throughout the clearing, but Sparrowpaw felt relieved. He'd thought Bubble was a little strange, and so what if she was deciding to leave their Clan when the going got tough? She was never a Clan cat to begin with.

"Alright. The patrol heading to the mountains will rest early to meet ThunderClan tomorrow. May StarClan light your path." With that, the leader dragged himself down from the great stone, almost sliding the rest of the way. Halfmoon rushed to meet him, her expression solemn. They exchanged a few words before the leader returned to his den, medicine cat close behind.

With a huff, Sparrowpaw turned back towards the medicine den to tell Hidingpaw the news of the meeting.

* * *

She wasn't in the dark forests of ShadowClan territory for once. The sun shone bright up ahead, and a gentle breeze swayed out from the moorland beyond her. Cautiously, Hidingpaw padded out of the trees, following the sound of a bubbling brook and whispered sighs.

When she spotted the star-studded cats sitting beside the large pool of water, Hidingpaw froze and retreated back into the shadows, remaining close enough to listen. Her heart raced; why was she among StarClan cats again? _Am I dead?_ She wondered fearfully.

She spotted Speckledkit sitting beside a tiny brown kit and a ginger and white kit. Those must be Harekit and Hazelkit, Hidingpaw realized. A white and tabby she-cat with ginger patches curled her tail around the kits, gazing with tall shoulders into the pool. Hidingpaw's heart lurched as she at once recognized Fawnspring, and a lump tightened in her throat. The queen and her kits were accompanied by several other cats, many of whom Hidingpaw had never seen before. From their scents, she could recognize the strong scent of RiverClan.

"They're all coming," A hollow voice echoed with pain and horror. After a moment, Hidingpaw realized that it was not one cat speaking, but all of them. Speckledkit leapt forward, fur bristling. "There must be something we can do!" She wailed, staring with horror into the pool. Fawnspring touched Speckledkit with her tail and pressed her nose to her kit's head. "There's nothing we can do," Fawnspring mewed, sounding wise beyond her years. At once, the calico she-cat raised her eyes to stare into the dark space where Hidingpaw lay crouched. "You must help him, Hidingpaw." She meowed quietly, her eyes overflowing with love and pain.

Before Hidingpaw could open her mouth to speak, a loud scream echoed through her dream, shattering the star-studded cats into wisps and jerking her back to the land of the living.

Hidingpaw burst to her paws, wincing at the pain in her side. The screaming wasn't from her dream, it was coming from the camp! Fur bristling, Hidingpaw loped out of the medicine den, immediately locating the sound to the nursery. Had the fox come back? Images of gnashing teeth and a bloodied nursery swarmed through Hidingpaw's mind, and she dashed into the nursery, claws unsheathed.

"Raydawn!" Hidingpaw exclaimed, seeing the once-proud queen crouched over her kits at one edge of the den, letting out screams of pain. On the other edge of the den were the two RiverClan kits, looking hurt and confused.

"What happened?!" Blizzardburst demanded, fur bristling as he dived into the nursery. Raydawn's screams faded to whimpers. "Those kits-" She started, glaring with hate towards the two grey kits. "Daddy! I can't move my legs! Tell Halfmoon to fix it!" Sunnykit wailed from underneath her mother. She scrambled with her front paws, dragging herself over to her father. Blizzardburst stared at his daughter in horror, and Hidingpaw felt a cold chill run through her pelt. The illness had reached the nursery.

Halfmoon padded in behind Hidingpaw, taking in the scene alarmingly. She immediately ran over to the small she-kit, gently prodding at her legs, poking the she-kit's lower legs with a claw. "Sunnykit, can you feel that?" Halfmoon demanded. The she-kit blinked up at the medicine cat with big, green eyes. "What? Feel what?" Sunnykit tried to twist to see where Halfmoon was talking about, but the medicine cat had already drawn back.

"I'm sorry, Raydawn, Blizzardburst... She has it," Halfmoon whispered, staring at the tiny ginger kit with a distant look in her eyes. Sunnykit's eyes widened with fear. "Have what? What do I have?" Her voice trembled as she looked over towards Hidingpaw. "I'm sorry, Hidingpaw," She squeaked with fear. "You were right. My legs did get tired." At that, Hidingpaw felt her heart drop to her paws.

Raydawn lurched up from above her kits, pelt bristling, teeth bared. Cries of discontent echoed from the kits beneath her, but Raydawn ignored them. "It was those disease-ridden RiverClan kits!" She hissed, "If it weren't for them, Sunnykit would be healthy!" The two kits looked hurt and confused at Raydawn's accusation. "But momma!" Smokekit wailed, his grey and white pelt fluffing up with fear. Fidgetkit pressed against her brother, eyes wide.

"You're not my kits!" Raydawn yowled, leaping at the terrified kits. Hidingpaw didn't think; she threw herself in front of the kits, pelt bushed out, and at the same time Blizzardburst leapt for his mate, grabbing her scruff and dragging her back. "Raydawn! These kits aren't to blame! They aren't even sick!" Hidingpaw protested, ears flattened. Blizzardburst was talking quietly into his mate's ear while she spat and hissed, but after several moments, the she-cat grew limp, expression weary and sorrowful. "Oh, my kit, my bright Sunnykit," Raydawn moaned, crawling back over to the ginger she-kit, who just looked confused. "I'm fine, momma!" The she-kit insisted. "My legs are just tired!"

Hidingpaw's pelt flattened, and she turned to the kits behind her. Smokekit and Fidgetkit shrunk away from her fearfully. _They're too young to know what any of this means_, Hidingpaw realized wearily. _They've just been here a day and they're already convinced Raydawn is their mother._

"Hey you two," Hidingpaw mewed gently. "Do you want to go on a little adventure? Raydawn is having a bad night, I think she needs to hang out with Sunnykit for a little bit. Halfmoon and I can show you the medicine den, and you two can sleep there tonight and pretend you're medicine cat apprentices." She mewed gently. Smokekit looked doubtful but Fidgetkit's eyes lit up immediately. "Yeah! Let's go, Smokekit!" She mewed, nosing her brother over to Hidingpaw's side. The grey and white tom cast a forlorn look over towards the distraught queen, but fortunately he realized that Raydawn was not in any state to talk to him, and together the group of three padded off towards the medicine den.

The moon still hung heavy in the sky, but Raydawn's commotion had woken up nearly every cat in the Clan. While Halfmoon went to talk to the alarmed crowd, Hidingpaw ushered the tiny kits towards her nest. Despite how excited Fidgetkit was to go to the den, she let out a big yawn as soon as she saw the pile of moss and curled up right away. Smokekit held back, staring at Hidingpaw with worried eyes. "Will Sunnykit be okay?" He asked, voice small. "It started like that for Snailfoot, too. His legs got tired and then..." The tiny kit trailed off. Hidingpaw was surprised Smokekit even remembered when they'd come to the RiverClan camp. He'd barely been conscious as she had carried him back.

Hidingpaw hesitated. She didn't want to lie to the small kit, not when he'd been through so much, but she didn't want to destroy any hope he might have. "Sunnykit's sick," She admitted after a long moment. "It looks like it's the same illness that Snailfoot had. But Jaystar and Robinstar are sending patrols to the mountains to look for a cure. There's still hope." When Sparrowpaw had come back from the meeting, he'd explained all the dramatics that had occurred, and seemed surprised when she'd asked about the Tribe Of Rushing Water, but he'd answered her questions readily.

Smokekit nodded, but the worry didn't fade from his eyes. "I hope she'll be okay," He mewed in a small voice, padding to lay beside his sister. Hidingpaw sighed and curled up against the two kits. _I hope so, too,_ she thought.

* * *

_To the fan who submitted these characters: I'm sorry for this. I promise there will be redemption. One of Raydawn's kits will end up becoming very significant to the Clan later on._

_To The MoonClanner: Bubble will also be making a return in the story, so no worries!_


	14. Chapter 14

_I hope you guys like this chapter. I put a lot of heart into it._

**Chapter 14**

"Sparrowpaw, Hidingpaw. Step forward." Obediently, the two apprentices stepped closer to the great rock, where their leader sat at its base. It had just been a quarter moon since the selected patrol had made way for the mountains, but he'd lost full control of his hind legs, and had also lost control of his tail. Their noble leader could no longer pull himself up to the great rock, but he hadn't lost an ounce of his energy or authority.

Sparrowpaw held his head high, expression serious. "I, Jaystar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Sparrowpaw, Hidingpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

To Sparrowpaw's surprise, it was Hidingpaw who spoke first. "I do," She chirped, holding her head high.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hidingpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Hidinglight. Despite your roots, you have shown yourself to be a brave and loyal warrior. StarClan honors your growth and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Hidinglight's eyes glistened as she stepped forward to lick her leader's shoulder, and he rested his muzzle on her head.

Sparrowpaw realized that, to Hidinglight, this was her true acceptance into the Clan. She had proven herself to be a worthy warrior, just as much as someone who was Clanborn. At that thought, he felt a surge of pride. Jaystar turned his striking blue eyes towards Sparrowpaw expectantly. Sparrowpaw's mouth felt dry as he realized that in watching Hidinglight's ceremony, he'd forgotten to say "I do" as well.

"I do," He mewed quickly. Jaystar nodded, whiskers twitching in amusement. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sparrowpaw, you have survived more suffering than we would ever hope a Clan cat would have to suffer so young. For always rising once you fall, Sparrowpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Sparrowdawn. StarClan honors your independence and resilience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Sparrowdawn stepped forward, crouching a bit so his leader could rest his muzzle on his head. Sparrowdawn licked his leader's shoulder respectfully.

"Hidinglight! Sparrowdawn! Hidinglight! Sparrowdawn!" Their Clanmates cheered, and Sparrowdawn looked towards Hidinglight with pride. He could almost imagine Fawnspring standing behind them, eyes shining with love. Emberfall stood off to the side, eyes glistening, and Sparrowdawn dipped his head to his father.

"At sundown, you shall both stand vigil over the camp, per tradition," Jaystar concluded, dipping his head to indicate the meeting was over.

Hidinglight bounded to Sparrowdawn's side, eyes shining. "We did it!" She mewed breathlessly. Littlemoon touched her nose to the new warrior, and as they chatted, Sparrowdawn scanned the camp. To his surprise, Grassdaze was making her way over to him, her bright green eyes shining with pride. "Congratulations," The black she-cat mewed respectfully, dipping her head. "You two make a great pair. Your names suit you."

Sparrowdawn shuffled his paws. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with us," He began, but Grassdaze waved her tail to silence him. "You and Hidinglight have always been close," She purred. "I was a fool to try and come between that." Sparrowdawn's ears burned with embarassment, and he glanced shyly towards the tortoiseshell warrior, but she was deep in conversation with Littlemoon.

Grassdaze's eyes widened with surprise. "What? You haven't told her yet?" She guessed, whiskers twitching. Sparrowdawn shifted his weight uneasily. "There hasn't been a good time," He muttered. He didn't want to be having this conversation with Grassdaze, of all cats. It had to be glaringly obvious how worried and protective he got about Hidinglight when she wasn't well, but it seemed the she-cat just saw him as a friend. _Maybe it's time to change that,_ Sparrowdawn decided, feeling the thorn twist in his chest anxiously.

Grassdaze blinked knowingly before padding away to talk with some of the other warriors. Wildkit burst out of the nursery, ears and tail perked with excitement as he dashed over to Hidinglight. Butterflykit was short on her brother's heels, and Sparrowdawn felt a lump in his throat as he saw Sunnykit, dragging herself into the clearing, much slower than her siblings without the use of her hind legs. Fidgetkit and Smokekit padded at a slower pace beside the golden she-kit, chatting excitedly to her. Raydawn watched from the nursery, expression dull with grief.

Sparrowdawn took a step towards the she-kit to help her, but Sunnykit shot him a warning look, clearly guessing his intentions. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he turned towards Hidinglight and her growing collection of kits. Her tail was wagging happily.

"You're a warrior now!" Wildkit squeaked, again leaping towards her tail. "Teach us how to fight!" He dropped down into a crouch, bunching up his hind legs and jumped into the air, missing her tail by a mouse-length. Sparrowdawn purred with amusement. Butterflykit stared at Hidinglight with wide brown eyes. "What's it like?" The grey and white she-kit asked curiously.

Sunnykit, Fidgetkit, and Smokekit finally made it over to their littermates. They pounced on each other, tussling and playfully fighting. Sunnykit resorted to swiping and pawing at her littermates. "Since when did you become leader of the kits?" Sparrowdawn joked to Hidinglight, who shot him an embarrassed look. "I like spending time with them," She confessed, "It reminds me of when I was younger. I want them to have a happy kithood." Her expression turned sad as she turned towards Sunnykit.

The kit, however, seemed oblivious to Hidinglight's pity, and was trying to climb on top of Fidgetkit to get a better angle at attacking her littermates. Fidgetkit obliged happily, and she charged towards Butterflykit with Sunnykit on her back. The grey and white she-kit let out a squeal of excitement as she fought back against her attackers.

Littlemoon was watching the kits beside Hidinglight, a longing expression in her gaze. Her belly seemed to grow bigger by the day, though Sparrowdawn imagined that fact enticed just as much fear as it did excitement. Breezeheart spotted his mate and padded over, nuzzling her gently. "Our kits will have so much energy, it will be hard to contain them," He purred.

Seeing a good opportunity, Sparrowdawn lightly touched Hidinglight's back with his tail, gesturing towards a quiet corner of the camp. Obediently, Hidinglight followed, waving her tail in goodbye. She showed no signs of her injury that had confined her to the medicine den for several days, other than a healing scar to show for it. However, if anything, Hidinglight seemed proud of it. She'd called it her "mark of a warrior".

Once the pair were shaded under one of the pines, away from the commotion of the camp, Sparrowdawn sat down, taking a breath. At Hidinglight's curious hazel eyes, however, he found himself at a loss for words; the thorn in his chest threatened to stop his breathing.

"How are you feeling?" He burst out finally, and Hidinglight looked at him with confusion. "I'm fine," She mewed, tilting her head. "My fox bite isn't bothering me a bit anymore." Sparrowdawn nodded awkwardly, shuffling his paws. "Is something wrong?" The she-cat pressed, staring at him with concerned hazel eyes. He felt his heart might burst if he met her gaze, so Sparrowdawn kept his gaze fixed on his paws. "No," He muttered.

Hidinglight's tail wagged anxiously, and with a sinking feeling, Sparrowdawn knew he wouldn't be able to say anything at this rate. He rose to his paws. "Let's go by the lake," He suggested, avoiding the she-cat's eyes. She nodded, keeping close pace beside him as they made their way out into the forest.

Sparrowdawn focused on the feeling of the cool leaf-fall breeze in his fur and the pine needles under his paws, rather than the warm scent of the she-cat beside him. His mind felt muddled, as if a cat had taken a stick and stirred it up. Soon enough, the slope dropped and a cooler breeze signified that they were only a few fox-lengths from the beach. Slowing down, Sparrowdawn stopped at the edge of the trees, staring out towards the light glimmering on the large pool of water. Across the lake, some of the trees were beginning to change colors.

Despite all that was going on with the Clans, the image seemed to be one of peace. He felt incredibly small at that moment. A whole Clan had been wiped out, and they were facing what could be coming for ShadowClan next, but the world around them remained unconcerned. _And StarClan?_ He wondered. _Where are they?_

"I haven't been down here much," Hidinglight confessed after a quiet moment. "I've only briefly come here for border patrols, but never to just sit. I never realized how beautiful it was." The she-cat pressed her pelt against his briefly, before pulling back, as if she were uncertain. Sparrowdawn steeled himself and fixed her with an intense gaze, meeting her hazel eyes.

He felt as if the world around him stopped, and he were sinking into the earth beneath his paws. "I never realized either," Sparrowdawn remarked, voice barely a whisper. The light seemed to shine off of Hidinglight's sleek dark fur, lighting up her orange and brown markings like the light dappled between the trees. He felt dizzy, and the thorn in his chest tightened with fear.

Hidinglight held his gaze levelly. "Are you okay?" She inquired gently. "It seems something's wrong." Sparrowdawn swallowed past the lump in his throat. His heartbeat quickened anxiously. He'd never felt more afraid than he was now. "I don't think I'd be able to make it if anything to ever happened to you," He confessed. "If I could, I'd like to take you away from all of this and go somewhere we'd be safe. I want to protect you so that nothing would ever hurt you again."

Hidinglight's eyes widened, but she remained silent, never once breaking eye contact. "Hidinglight, I..." Sparrowdawn's voice broke, and he found himself unable to say any more. He tore his gaze away, staring back out towards the lake. After a moment, he felt Hidinglight's pelt pressed against his, nuzzling his side. Her scent wafted around him, making him dizzy. "I feel the same way, Sparrowdawn," The tortoiseshell she-cat whispered, responding to what had remained unsaid.

At once, the thorn that had held fast in his chest for so many moons seemed to loosen and disappear, as if it had finally eased its way out of his fur. Sparrowdawn's breathing slowed; the pain in his chest was no more, and rather than tightness, he felt as if he were truly soaring, like the sparrow he was named after.

At that moment, Sparrowdawn knew that no matter what, as long as Hidinglight was by his side, he'd be able to take on anything.

* * *

Halfmoon raced to the leader's den, green eyes wide with anxiety. Outside the medicine den, Hidinglight paced anxiously. It was the night of the half moon, but their medicine cat would not be able to go tonight. Raydawn had reported feeling the numbness in her hind paws, and Jaystar was now paralyzed in all four legs. Sunnykit's tail was now paralyzed from the illness as well, and she was starting to feel it in her front paws, and Ravenpaw was struggling to breathe.

Rainpaw and Eagletail refused to leave the apprentice's side. Halfmoon had grimly informed Hidinglight that the young she-cat was not long for StarClan, and it seemed that their leader would be soon to follow. The whole Clan seemed to be holding its breath.

Littlemoon padded over beside Hidinglight, her green eyes darkened with worry. "Halfmoon told me to send for Rainpaw and Eagletail to bring Ravenpaw to Jaystar's den," The small she-cat whispered. Hidinglight nodded, closing her eyes. She knew that Jaystar was going to perform the dying apprentice ceremony to give Ravenpaw her warrior name. With a ripple of pain, Hidinglight remembered the first time she had met the black tabby she-cat, how promising she had been as a kit. _"Ravenkit's gonna be the best tracker in the Clan!"_ Her sister had boasted. _It's too cruel for her to die like this_, She thought wearily.

Her nightmares occurred less and less, though they held the same frightening message; "You have to help him." She believed with almost complete certainty that the StarClan cats meant Sparrowdawn, and her pelt bristled with the fear that he might become sick as well.

"I'll help," Hidinglight mewed decisively, padding into the medicine den where Rainpaw crouched beside Ravenpaw, who's breathing grew more labored by the minute. "Jaystar wants her in his den," Hidinglight informed them, and Eagletail raised his head, his expression dull with grief. Rainpaw refused to look away from her sister. "Come on, Ravenpaw," The dark grey tabby mewed gently, "Jaystar's got something important to say to you. You're gonna be a warrior." The young apprentice's voice broke with grief at the last word. Ravenpaw's eyes, however, fluttered open and lit up at the prospect, before her expression fell. "Is that possible?" She whispered breathlessly, "I haven't even caught so much as a mouse or a lizard my entire apprenticeship."

Hidinglight swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Ravenpaw, you have the spirit of a warrior," She mewed, pressing her flank against the small apprentice's side. Rainpaw followed suit, and Eagletail trailed behind as they carried the apprentice towards the leader's den.

Hidinglight's heart sank at the state of their leader. Like Snailfoot, Jaystar was only able to lift his head, but his bright blue eyes were still alert and determined. "Bring her to me," He ordered, and Ravenpaw's breathing quickened with excitement as they set her down beside the leader. Halfmoon watched with a heavy form from beside her mate, eyes dull with grief.

"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has learned your noble code and has given up her life in the service of her Clan. Ravenpaw, your name will be Ravensky, for your openness to any challenges you've had to face, and the hope that you will find peace and joy when you walk our ancestor's skies. Let StarClan recieve her by the name of Ravensky." Determinedly, Jaystar forced himself forward just enough to rest his head on Ravensky's head, and the she-cat sucked in a breath to respectfully lick his chest.

Ravensky fell back, eyes wide and brimming with joy. "Rainpaw," She gasped, "I'm a warrior!" Rainpaw nuzzled her sister. "You are, Ravensky. You deserve it." The grey she-cat's eyes glistened, and after a moment, the breaths from Ravensky sounded more like choking. Hidinglight shuddered as she watched the young warrior struggle for her last breaths, before falling still, eyes open.

Halfmoon padded over to the she-cat, closing her eyes with her paws while Rainpaw's shoulders shook with sobs. Eagletail sat beside his surviving daughter, head bowed in sorrow. Jaystar stared at the white medicine cat with a determination in his eyes. "Halfmoon," He mewed knowingly, "Go get Webpelt."

The white she-cat stiffened, green eyes wide. "Jaystar-" She breathed, an understanding falling upon her eyes. "Now," Jaystar demanded, and the white she-cat hesitated one more moment before racing out of the den. Hidinglight watched with confusion, but her leader swiveled his striking blue gaze towards her. "Hidinglight, help Eagletail bring Ravensky out to the clearing so that we may hold vigil." She dipped her head respectfully to her leader, padding beside the mourning pair, and lifted the dead warrior up to carry her into the clearing. Her black tabby paws dragged in the sand as they walked.

Littlemoon's eyes clouded with grief at the sight of the deceased she-cat. Returning with the hunting patrol, Sparrowdawn bounded over from the Clan entrance with prey in his jaws, and his expression darkened when he saw Ravensky. Quickly putting his prey in the fresh-kill pile, he joined them just as they lay the she-cat down for her vigil. She noticed that Webpelt dashed over to Jaystar's den with Halfmoon close at his heels, but the Clan was gathering for Ravensky's vigil.

"She was so young," Hidinglight mewed hollowly, meeting Sparrowdawn's gaze with grief. He sat down beside her, pressing his pelt into hers, but for once, even he wasn't able to warm the cold in her heart. "I still remember when she tracked us with Rainpaw when they were still kits," Sparrowdawn commented after a moment, expression admiring to the deceased she-cat. "She was always a noble and determined cat, and would have made a great warrior."

"She died a warrior," Rainpaw whispered, eyes burning as she looked towards Sparrowdawn. "Jaystar named her Ravensky." His eyes widened in surprise, but he remained silent. Eagletail pressed his nose into his daughter's pelt. "I wanted to see my kits become warriors," He meowed thickly, "But not like this."

"Runningleaf won't know that Ravensky's gone," Rainpaw realized, eyes wide with worry. Eagletail shook his head, curling his tail around his daughter. "She knew when she agreed to leave that she might be coming back too late to save Ravensky. But she had to try. If she hadn't gone, I would have."

They fell into a hushed silence as darkness fell, their Clanmates slowly dispersing to their respective dens for the night. Hidinglight and Sparrowdawn were one of the last to leave, dipping their heads respectfully to the bereaved before padding, side by side, to sleep.

* * *

A rough shaking stirred Hidinglight from her sleep, and she blinked in confusion, eyes adjusting to the darkness to see Sparrowdawn above her, expression grim. "Jaystar died," He mewed quietly. "Webpelt wants to see us."

Hidinglight blinked in confusion. "Died? He's okay now, though, right?" She asked, knowing the answer already with a coldness along her pelt. Sparrowdawn shook his head. Silently, she rose to her paws, and they padded out of the warriors den so as not to wake the other warriors.

The half moon still hung heavy in the sky, and Hidinglight suspected they had many hours before sunrise. The pair barely exchanged a word as they padded into Jaystar's den. Halfmoon lay with her nose in the silver tabby's side, her bright form shaking with silent cries. She made no effort to hide her pain for her mate. Webpelt looked on with grief, barely noticing the two as they entered.

"What happened?" Hidinglight whispered, staring at their unmoving leader. Webpelt raised dull eyes towards the tortoiseshell warrior, blinking as if only just remembering where he was. "After Ravensky died, he called me into the den and told me that he'd never recieved his nine lives. StarClan had given him an ultimatum that night, and he'd refused to give up Halfmoon. No cat knew, not even her." He closed his eyes with grief. "I have no idea how we're going to explain this to the Clan."

Sparrowdawn stepped forward, tail lashing in irritation and pelt bristling. "Tell the truth!" He hissed, causing Hidinglight to jump at his conviction. "Enough of the lies! Perhaps this illness would have gone differently if they had followed the warrior code in the first place. Now's the time to free ShadowClan from these secrets." He tore at the earth beneath his paws.

Hidinglight nodded in agreement. "He's right, Webpelt," She mewed. "Even if they made a mistake by becoming mates, they had several choices; Halfmoon to give up Jaystar, or to step down as medicine cat, and Jaystar to give up Halfmoon or step down as leader. Who knows what other ways StarClan will deny ShadowClan if the lies continue?"

Halfmoon rose shakily to her paws, green eyes glistening. "I said it before and I'll say it now," She mewed. "I never once regretted becoming Jaystar's mate. We knew it was wrong, but we loved each other. We couldn't turn our backs on one another. But..." She looked towards Webpelt dully. "I was selfish in wanting to remain a medicine cat while taking on a mate. I wanted to help my Clan in the way I knew how. I will continue to practice healing as much as I can for my Clan, but I'm ready to let the secrets out." Her last words were a whisper as she glanced towards the still body of her mate.

Though Hidinglight knew it was the right choice, she felt her heart sinking to her paws. _Littlemoon will be heartbroken_, She thought. Webpelt stared at Halfmoon for one more moment before turning to the young warriors. "Very well then. We shall hold vigil for Jaystar tomorrow and I will make an announcement to the Clan. But that's not why I brought you two here." His expression fixed on Hidinglight with fierce determination. "Hidinglight, I want you to come with me to the Moonpool."

Her jaw dropped to the floor. Beside her, Sparrowdawn bristled. "What nonsense are you going on about? She's not a medicine cat!" He hissed before she could say anything, pressing his pelt against hers protectively. Webpelt's gaze did not waver. "Hidinglight, you are the only one StarClan has spoken to in moons. I know that you have followed the path of a warrior, but we can't deny that you have a connection to our ancestors that Halfmoon doesn't. I'm certain there's a reason for this. I want you to try and speak with StarClan while I recieve my nine lives, to see if you can learn anything about this illness that might help us fight it. They may have refused to help Halfmoon, but perhaps they will help you now that Jaystar's debt has been repaid."

Hidinglight's mind whirled. She wasn't quite sure what Webpelt meant by "Jaystar's debt", but she felt terrified to face the whole of StarClan at the Moonpool. She may have earned her place in the Clan as a warrior, but she wasn't Clanborn; what could StarClan want with her? And yet, as sure as she was of her fears, she was also certain of Webpelt's place in her Clan as leader. Hidinglight knew that he wasn't asking her to go. He was ordering her to. Per the warrior code, she had to follow her leader.

Hidinglight dipped her head. "I'll go," She mewed decisively. _Let's just hope StarClan recieves us,_ She added silently.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Hidinglight padded beside her leader as they followed the stream marking the border between WindClan and ThunderClan. Webpelt had confessed that he wanted to avoid crossing the stream for as long as possible; he doubted WindClan would take kindly to intruders when their borders were closed, even if they were headed to the Moonpool.

For the most part, they'd moved swiftly and silently. Hidinglight knew that her previous mentor was hoping to get to the Moonpool before sunrise. Halfmoon had stayed behind to grieve. "What point is there in me going? StarClan won't speak to me," She'd meowed with resignation. Yet, the young warrior had found herself hoping the medicine cat would come with, if only to tell Hidinglight what to expect.

The further upstream they ran, the more the slope increased, and soon Hidinglight found herself having to scramble over large boulders to continue on their path.

Finally, the land seemed to level out before them. The young warrior gasped with effort, but her leader pushed forward with determination. As they reached the top of the rise, Hidinglight let out a gasp; below them, the stream trickled to a pool that was dotted with stars. Instinctively, she stepped forward, feeling her paws sink into the impressions of cats from long ago. A longing filled her heart, as if something about this place was something she'd been searching for for a long time.

Webpelt padded down to the edge of the pool, fixing his prior apprentice with a solemn expression. "Hidinglight, Halfmoon warned me that no matter what you see, you must not disturb me until I've recieved my nine lives." Wordlessly, she nodded. "We must lap the water and close our eyes to dream with StarClan," Webpelt instructed her, and she settled beside him, lapping the cool water.

At once, the coldness spread to her paws, and for one terrifying moment, she was sure she'd contracted the illness. Hidinglight shut her eyes, feeling a fierce wind pick up around her; she feared it would sweep her from the rocks beneath her feet. When the wind had died down, she opened her eyes and let out a gasp.

More StarClan cats than she had ever seen stood in front of her, surrounding the water of the Moonpool. "Welcome, Hidinglight," They echoed simultaneously, filling the hollow with sound and stars. Breathless, she dipped her head respectfully to the cats, trying to contain the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. From their ranks, a small tortoiseshell she-kit stepped forward, curling her tail around her paws. Her eyes looked up towards Hidinglight with friendship and trust.

"Hidinglight. You must help him," Speckledkit reminded her. Hidinglight felt a surge of impatience, but she merely nodded. "I know," She whispered, thinking back to Sparrowdawn. "I just hope I know what to do when I'm supposed to."

"You will know when the time has come, Hidinglight," Speckledkit assured her. Hidinglight gazed out upon the StarClan cats, feeling a cry bubble its way from her mouth at the sight of a small black tabby she-cat with lighter markings on her face. Ravensky held all the wisdom of the stars in her eyes, and her whiskers twitched with amusement as she padded forward to meet her old friend.

"Ravensky," Hidinglight breathed, taking in the smaller she-cat. Ravensky stood tall and proud, her body having regained full movement. Stars speckled her fur. "_The cool night will light the sky with stars before the sun rises_," Ravensky meowed, her voice seeming to echo across the walls of the hollow. Hidinglight felt her pelt prickle uneasily at the omen. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked, looking out at the cats of StarClan. Fawnspring stared back at her with love. "I didn't choose the path of a medicine cat."

"No," Speckledkit agreed, "That was never your path. You are to be the light that guides the way to the stars for two important cats." Hidinglight froze, trying to decipher the she-kit's words. Would she be guiding Sparrowdawn to his death? Her pelt bristled fearfully. At her fear, Speckledkit let out a purr of amusement. "It is not what you think," She mewed knowingly, touching the young warrior with her tail.

"Is there hope for us?" Hidinglight wondered aloud, fearfully remembering the death they had faced and the darkness that still held fast in the ShadowClan camp. Her hazel eyes swept the ranks of StarClan, wide with fear. "Our leader and medicine cat guided us into darkness. Will we recover?"

The cats began to fade, one by one. Fawnspring shot her a gentle look before bounding into the sky, fading to stardust. Speckledkit was close behind, departing with a friendly wave of her tail. Only Ravensky remained. "_The cool night will light the sky with stars before the sun rises_," She repeated once more, her pelt disappearing into stardust.

* * *

When Hidinglight awoke, she felt a lightness in her chest, as if everything had been solved in her dream. The lightly clouded sky gave way to the pink fingers of dawn, and she stretched, gazing out at the Moonpool in amazement. For the first time, she felt a sense of regret that she'd never chosen to become a medicine cat. The awe she felt at the power of StarClan was something that most medicine cats grew to be as familiar with as the herbs that they healed by.

Hidinglight laid eyes on Webpelt. He was only just stirring, eyes opened wide with shock. When he tried to stand, he struggled, his legs shaking. She rushed over to her leader fearfully, supporting him with her side. Did he have the sickness?

"Are you alright?" Hidinglight asked, concern flecking her hazel eyes. Otterstar had never fully recovered from the illness. What if Webpelt got sick too?

Webpelt shook his head, gasping for breath. "It was harder than I expected," He informed her, legs shaking. He looked as if he'd come out of a war. Hidinglight froze, trying to understand his words. "Then...?" She asked hesitantly. Webpelt met her eyes, wisdom beyond his years shining in his gaze. "My name is Webstar."

* * *

On the way back, Hidinglight informed Webstar of the chilling omen she'd recieved, and his expression had grown dark. "The cool night will light the sky with stars" seemed to be quite clear now, and it hardly helped ShadowClan figure out how to battle this illness.

Webstar in turn informed her that he'd seen Jaystar in StarClan, and he'd given him his last life. Jaystar had also explained that same omen was one he'd recieved when he should have gotten his nine lives. Hidinglight's pelt prickled with discomfort at the ease with which Webpelt confided in her about his experiences with StarClan, as if she were ShadowClan's medicine cat. As far as the hints about Hidinglight's own future, however, she kept that to herself. She felt that those messages were something meant for her and only her.

When they returned to the Clan, it was nearly sunhigh and the camp was in an uproar. Jaystar's body lay at the center of the clearing where Ravensky had lain the night before. When Webstar and Hidinglight padded wearily through the camp entrance, eerie silence fell, and it felt like a thousand eyes fixed on them, expectant and fearful. At once, Webstar broke away from Hidinglight and leapt onto the great rock, visibly steeling himself for the meeting he was about to announce.

Sparrowdawn spotted her by the entrance and hurried over, nuzzling her fiercely and licking her behind the ears. "I'm so glad you're alright," He murmured, and Hidinglight pressed her pelt to his. She watched as Halfmoon trudged out of the medicine den, standing with dull eyes at the base of the great rock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" Webstar yowled, though very few cats weren't already gathered around the black striped warrior. No cats spoke; the seriousness of Jaystar's death was enough to silence the fearful questions that accompanied it.

Webstar stared out at his Clanmates, head held high with authority. Hidinglight noticed his gaze was fixed on Littlemoon, who watched him beside Breezeheart with worried green eyes. Her chest tightened at the thought of what was about to come.

"As you know, Jaystar joined StarClan in the night. Yesterday, after Ravensky's death, he called me and Halfmoon into his den for a private meeting. There, he informed me that he did not have nine lives left; he only had one. StarClan never granted him his nine lives."

Webstar waited for the gasps and confusion to die down before he continued. He turned his gaze towards Halfmoon. "Would you like to tell them or should I?" He asked gently. The medicine cat merely shook her head; her shoulders hung heavy with pain and shame.

Webstar closed his eyes briefly, preparing himself. "Halfmoon and Jaystar had been mates for a long time. When it first occurred, StarClan gave Halfmoon an ultimatum; leave Jaystar or give up her duty as a medicine cat. She chose neither, deciding that whatever the consequences, she loved Jaystar, and wanted to help the Clan in the way she best knew how; by healing. As a result, StarClan has refused to speak with her for much of her time as a medicine cat."

Yowls of outrage echoed across the clearing, and Hidinglight kept her gaze fixed on Littlemoon. Her bright green eyes were dotted with horror, as if she knew what was coming next. Webpelt waved his tail to silence his Clanmates, but they ignored him.

"You've put the entire Clan in danger!" Quicktuft spat towards the white she-cat. Raydawn's gaze burned with rage beside her kits. "Stop!" Webstar yowled, and the camp was silenced. "Jaystar, our very leader, also made this mistake. At his nine-lives ceremony, much later, StarClan gave him an ultimatum. Stop being mates with Halfmoon, or step down as leader. He also refused to do either, so StarClan bid him to lead ShadowClan with just one life."

Webstar's gaze fixed on his daughter, pain rippling his pelt. "They had two kits," He mewed hollowly, a sorrowful expression in his gaze. Littlemoon took several steps backwards, shaking her head; Hidinglight could almost hear the fear in her thoughts; _Don't say it. Don't say it._

"Littlemoon and Nettlefire are Halfmoon and Jaystar's kits," Webpelt announced, tearing his gaze away from his daughter. The Clan was shocked into silence, but Hidinglight couldn't stop watching Littlemoon. Breezeheart was talking to her urgently, but in the back of the crowd, she was shaking her head and backing away desperately, eyes glistening.

"Shimmerleap, Jaystar's sister, my mate, was determined to remain loyal to her brother. Halfmoon and Jaystar knew that there would be no way they could raise the kits themselves, so Shimmerleap and I raised them and grew to love them as our own," Webstar continued. Halfmoon stared out at her daughter, pain in her eyes. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,_ She seemed to be silently saying.

"The time for secrets is over," Webstar concluded. "If we wish to redeem ourselves for the mistakes of the past, we must begin with honesty. StarClan granted me my nine lives with that promise. While they don't speak to Halfmoon, they temporarily have been speaking to Hidinglight. They have informed us that in spite of this long cold night, the sun will rise."

Hidinglight froze at her leader's words. Sparrowdawn seemed to notice her tension, and he stared at her, expression searching. "What is it?" He demanded, and she turned her hazel eyes towards him. "StarClan told me that this cool night would light the sky with stars before the sun rose," She whispered, and Sparrowdawn's eyes widened. "Sparrowdawn, a lot of cats are going to die," Hidinglight mewed shakily, turning back towards her leader, her ears flattened with fear.

* * *

_"Sparrowdawn, a lot of cats are going to die."_

Hidinglight's omen echoed in his mind at every moment of every day since then. He should have felt proud for his father, Emberfall, who had been named deputy. But all he could think about was Hidinglight's omen.

A quarter moon passed. Sunnykit died, Raydawn wailing at her side.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

Another quarter moon; the full moon meeting ignored due to the unrest in the Clans, with only Webstar and Emberfall travelling to the island to see if any Clans were to be there at all.

Raydawn died that night as well, and Blizzardburst confessed to Halfmoon that his paws were feeling weak.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

A moon passed. Blizzardburst died, and four kits were left without a parent. Breezeheart collapsed on a border patrol. He'd caught the sickness. Littlemoon was due in about a quarter moon. There was still no sign of the patrol sent for the mountains.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

Dawnfeather and Webstar caught the sickness.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

Breezeheart died, gasping for breath by Littlemoon's side.

Webstar lost a life.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

And another.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

And another.

_A lot of cats are going to die._

* * *

"Almost there Littlemoon! You can do it!" Yowls of pain echoed throughout the camp, and Hidinglight paced outside of the nursery, unable to rid herself of the foreboding that sunk in her heart. It was the night of the dark moon. She had taken to watching over the four kits since Raydawn and Blizzardburst's deaths. Now, all four of them were curled up in the apprentices den, trying to be positive and joking that they were ready to be warriors now.

Hidinglight had seen how Littlemoon had changed in the last moon and a half. The normally certain and gentle she-cat was jumpy and hollow, as if all the fight had been taken out of her. Nothing Hidinglight had said could comfort the white she-cat after she lost her mate. She remained by herself in the nursery, scarcely leaving to even eat.

Halfmoon had determined that the she-cat was expecting four kits. Littlemoon had been reluctant to accept any help from the medicine cat, but she quickly realized she had little choice.

Hidinglight froze, brought out of her thoughts. The camp was silent. Fear quickened her heartbeat, and she burst into the nursery. Halfmoon's head hung heavy, and quiet wails echoed from the walls. "What happened?" Hidinglight demanded, worried for her friend. Halfmoon raised dull green eyes towards the warrior. "They're all dead," She mewed. "One of them was alive but... she couldn't move anything but her head... we couldn't keep her breathing..." The medicine cat shuddered with the horror of it.

Hidinglight's mind raced. How could the illness reach kits that weren't even born yet? "Oh, Littlemoon," She breathed, rushing over to her friend's side, where her frame shook with sobs. A small cream and white she-kit lay curled against her, and Littlemoon repeatedly nosed the kit as if to wake her up. "Come on, little one," She cried quietly, trying to guide the still kit with her paws. "Come on, I have milk here."

"Littlemoon," Hidinglight whispered, but the white she-cat didn't seem to notice. All she could focus on was her tiny dead kit beside her. Suddenly, Littlemoon's body convulsed, and her eyes rolled to her head. She let out an ear-piercing screech of pain, and Halfmoon dashed to her side, feeling her belly. Her green eyes widened. "There's one more," The medicine cat mewed.

"What?" Hidinglight exclaimed, eyes wide with alarm. "It's small," Halfmoon warned, palpating Littlemoon's belly with her paws. "I have to turn it around. Please, StarClan..." The last of Halfmoon's words were drowned out by the screech of pain as the medicine cat pushed heavily against Littlemoon's belly, manipulating the kit so that it would be born the right way.

Hidinglight watched in fascination as Halfmoon coaxed the queen through the process, until eventually a tiny bundle slid out. Halfmoon nipped at the shining sac around the kit, licking it aggressively to warm it up and help it breathe. After a long moment holding her breath, Hidinglight heard the sound they had been waiting for; a loud, piercing cry.

Littlemoon flopped against the floor, exhausted. She didn't even look at the tiny kit as it scrambled to her belly. Her eyes seemed dull and empty. Hidinglight wasn't certain she even realized that she had a kit that had lived after all. "Littlemoon," She mewed gently, "Look at your kit. What do you want to name him?"

Littlemoon said nothing for several long moments, staring off at some unseeable point in the distance. "I don't care," She mewed finally, voice cold and empty. Hidinglight recoiled as if struck. "He's going to die anyways. The illness will get him soon enough," Littlemoon continued, closing her eyes with pain.

Halfmoon padded over to the she cat, green eyes gentle. "That's not true, Littlemoon. This is your kit. You can keep him safe."

At that, Littlemoon forced herself up, eyes blazing. "Like I could keep my others safe? Just like I could keep Breezeheart safe? Just like Raydawn could keep Sunnykit safe?" She snapped. Halfmoon winced, and Littlemoon's gaze darkened. "I thought not. Name him whatever you like, Hidinglight."

Hidinglight froze, despair crowding her heart. Surely Littlemoon wouldn't neglect her only kit? She looked towards the tiny white and cream tom, nuzzled against his mother's belly, little chirps and squeaks echoing while he fed. Her hazel eyes softened. I_ will protect you,_ She promised to the tiny kit, nosing him affectionately.

"Can we name him Bravekit?" Hidinglight inquired to her friend. Littlemoon remained unconcerned, eyes closed. "I. Don't. Care." She repeated, putting emphasis on each word. Hidinglight settled beside her friend, helping to keep the kit warm. Pressing her nose to its tiny fur, she closed her eyes, feeling a small blossom of hope that she hadn't felt in quite a long time.


	16. Chapter 16

_Thank you The MoonClanner and Feathershade for your continued support! __Bubble has quite the adventure ahead of her in this story but I will have her join the Clans with her very own Clan name in the future. I think connecting her to the Tribe is a great idea! I was struggling with finding ways to connect her "connection with the Moon" to StarClan, as I wasn't sure if a cat like Bubble would believe in StarClan, or if she'd believe in her own religion/ancestors. Maybe traditions that have been passed down to her from the Tribe would be a good way to connect those._

**Chapter 16**

"Littlemoon, you should eat something," Hidinglight insisted, nosing the mouse over to her friend. The white she-cat ignored her, staring at the edges of the nursery unseeingly. Bravekit let out tiny mews, pawing at her belly, but Littlemoon scarcely reacted.

Hidinglight hoped that Littlemoon's attitude towards Bravekit would change over time once she noticed how lively and energetic the young kit was, but nearly a moon had passed and the white she-cat did little more than feed him. For all intents and purposes, Hidinglight took the place as Bravekit's mother, spending most of her time in the nursery as if she were a queen herself. Sparrowdawn was warming up towards the tiny kit as well, though she could tell that something was on his mind, especially after Dawnfeather died from Cold Paw. That was what Webstar had begun calling the disease that had taken several of his lives and many of their Clanmates, because of the way the disease began with symptoms of coldness in the paws that spread to all parts of the body.

Bravekit turned away from this birth mother, fixing Hidinglight with big blue eyes. He let out a squeak of excitement and stumbled over to her, nuzzling and kneading her belly, as if he expected to find milk there instead. Hidinglight swallowed past a lump in her throat. "Littlemoon, you have to eat. Bravekit's hungry. He needs you." She pressed, gently prodding her friend with her paw.

She was growing worried for her friend; for the last quarter moon, she seemed to be eating as little as possible, and hardly left the nursery. Hidinglight had approached Halfmoon several times in worry for her friend, but the medicine cat had merely shaken her head sadly. "There's no herb to cure what Littlemoon is dealing with," Was all she'd said.

"Hidinglight, Bravekit, are you two in there?" Sparrowdawn poked his head into the nursery, taking in the scene with narrowed eyes. He gently nosed Bravekit, who squealed with excitement at the sight of the young warrior. "She's still not eating," Hidinglight murmured worriedly, glancing towards Bravekit. "Bravekit's more and more hungry each day but she refuses to eat."

Sparrowdawn bristled, eyes narrowing. "Hey! Snap out of it!" He growled towards Littlemoon, taking a step towards her. She ignored him with all but the flick of her tail. "You have a kit to raise. We've all suffered these past moons, but laying around and killing yourself isn't going to bring them back, and it's not going to help us fight this!"

Hidinglight watched with dismay as the white and tabby tom stood there for what seemed like moons, waiting for a response that wouldn't come from Littlemoon. He lashed his tail in annoyance after a long silence, and paced in the nursery. "This is ridiculous," He hissed under his breath. He put on a brisk front, but Hidinglight could tell that he was worried out of his mind; about Bravekit, Littlemoon, and the Clan in general. The patrol sent for the mountains still hadn't returned, and there were some worried murmurs picking up force throughout the camp.

"Alright." Hidinglight jumped at the small she-cat's voice, and she watched in amazement as Littlemoon brought herself to her paws. Her skin clung tight to her pelt, ribs poking through from many sunrises of little food, but she stood tall and proud. Her green gaze flicked from Sparrowdawn to Hidinglight, a sort of resolution settled in her eyes. After a long moment, she turned towards Bravekit. "Hey little one. Let's go outside and play."

Bravekit stared at his mother with wide eyes, but he trotted behind her obediently, his white tail sticking straight up in the air. Hidinglight whirled around to Sparrowdawn, who appeared just as shocked as she was.

They followed the she-cat cautiously, as if afraid to frighten her back to her den, but Littlemoon appeared more alert than she'd been in moons. She grabbed a tiny mouse and a large squirrel from the fresh-kill pile, settling beside her son and gently batting the mouse towards him. Excited, he pounced on it, gnawing on its fur. "It's fluffy!" He squeaked. Hidinglight purred from beside Sparrowdawn. Bravekit had so much energy. She couldn't wait to watch him become a warrior.

Littlemoon spoke gently to her son, showing him how to bite the prey if he were to catch it, and showing him how to chew up its meat enough for him to eat. She continued to munch on the squirrel she had chosen, licking her lips, though her attention was completely focused on the kit. Hidinglight felt her chest twisting; she was incredibly happy to see Littlemoon finally becoming involved with her kit, but she felt pained at the thought that her own role as Bravekit's unofficial mother might be over.

Sparrowdawn pressed his pelt to hers, as if sensing her thoughts. "One day, we'll have kits of our own," He murmured, "And they'll be as beautiful and healthy as Bravekit." Hidinglight leaned close to him, giving him an affectionate lick behind the ears. Her heart warmed at the thought of her future with Sparrowdawn, but she tried to ignore the sense of dread that threatened to overtake her joy at the eerie quietness of the camp after the loss of so many cats.

* * *

"Hidinglight! Wake up!" A voice roused her from her sleep, and Hidinglight blinked her eyes in surprise, trying to regain her bearings. To her relief, Bravekit was snuggled against her belly, letting out soft mews of discomfort as she stirred. Littlemoon had spent the rest of the day with Bravekit, playing with him and some of the other kits, and Hidinglight had taken the opportunity to go on a much needed run through ShadowClan's woods beside Sparrowdawn. She wasn't even a queen, yet she felt incredibly cooped up in camp. As the sun began to fall in the sky, Hidinglight and Bravekit had both collapsed into their nest and fallen right to sleep. Even now, she noticed the kit seemed quite tuckered out and content, his belly full from the food of the day.

That was when she realized that the nest beside her was cold and empty.

Halfmoon stood at the entrance of the den, eyes wide and frantic. "Littlemoon is missing," She meowed, looking at Bravekit with a pained expression. "I came looking for her to check on her. She'd said earlier she was having trouble sleeping. I was hoping you might have seen her leave." Hidinglight jumped to her feet, ignoring the complaints of the small kit beneath her. "I was asleep," She gasped. "We have to find her!"

Halfmoon nodded, expression dark with worry. Hidinglight closed her eyes, scenting the air around her for Littlemoon's scent. There! A faint trail led out of the nursery. She followed it, remembering when she'd been scenting RiverClan trails, and letting her senses guide her. They led her through the dirtplace; she wrinkled her nose, but stayed focused. Memories of when she was a kit flooded through her mind.

_"We can't just sit and wait! She's not in her right mind!"_

_"She knows these forests better than many of our young warriors."_

Hidinglight pushed aside the memories, following the trail. Her heart sank as she felt the pines beneath her paws begin to slope downward towards the lake. Hidinglight picked up her pace to a brisk run, bursting out of the trees with a gasp.

Littlemoon was wading in the gentle waves, her form swaying with the water, lit up by the waxing moon. "Littlemoon!" Hidinglight called, taking a step forward, but something in the she-cat's form made her pause. "They're all gone, Hidinglight," The white she-cat murmured from the waves, stepping deeper. "Breezeheart, my brother, my kits..."

"Bravekit still needs you!" Hidinglight insisted, taking a step forward. She felt a lump rise in her throat. What was Littlemoon thinking?! "He has you, Hidinglight. I should never have been born," The white she-cat continued, staring out into the lake. "My very existence is proof that my parents led StarClan to forsake us."

Littlemoon tore her green eyes away from the lake, meeting Hidinglight's eyes with sadness. "Maybe if I'm gone, I can make it right."

"No!" Hidinglight yowled, leaping towards the shore, but it was too late. Littlemoon's white fur disappeared beneath the surface of the dark water, and she splashed into the water up to her belly fur. The ice cold shock send her reeling with fear, and Hidinglight struggled with indecision, terrified to step any further. "Littlemoon!" She cried for her friend, praying to see her white head bob to the surface of the water, but it remained as dark as the night sky reflected upon it.

Hidinglight closed her eyes, bracing herself and sending a quiet prayer to StarClan. Then, without giving herself a chance to change her mind, she forced herself forward into the water.

Great StarClan, it was cold. Hidinglight gasped at the shock of it. Pushing past her fear, she trudged her paws against the thick water, trying to swallow back a whimper as the iciness touched the base of her muzzle. The coldness sunk straight to her bones, and Hidinglight was reminded of the spreading numbness that haunted her nightmares. _I'm frozen! _ With a gasp of fear, her head sunk under the surface of the water, and she struggled against the darkness, feeling her limbs grow more and more stiff.

_StarClan, help me!_ She silently cried. Was this what her dreams had been warning her of all along? _No!_ Hidinglight kicking her legs against the cold water once more, just enough for her muzzle to surface the water for a brief moment, sputtering and gasping, before she again went under.

Just when she thought that she could fight no longer, teeth sunk into her scruff, hauling her diagonally towards the surface. Seconds later, she burst into the air, coughing and sputtering. "You mouse-brain!" Sparrowdawn gasped as he dragged her towards the shore. "Kick your legs! I can't do it myself!" He ordered her desperately, fear tinting his voice, and though Hidinglight's legs felt like jelly, she obeyed, soon finding purchase beneath her paws. They hauled themselves to the sand, collapsing in a shivering, coughing heap.

"Littlemoon!" She gasped, hardly able to lift her head up from exhaustion. "Littlemoon's still in there!" Sparrowdawn shook his head, expression dark. "You mouse-brain," He repeated. "Why couldn't you still be a scaredy-mouse? Why do I have to keep saving you?"

The sound of bounding feet announced the arrival of one of the patrols Webpelt must have sent in search of Littlemoon. Heathershade, Grassdaze, and Webpelt came into view, pelts bristling with alarm. "She's still in there!" Hidinglight cried, voice weak. Instead of moving, however, they just stood rooted to the spot where they stood. "Do something!" She shrieked, form shaking with fear and cold.

"Hidinglight, she's gone." It was Sparrowdawn who said it first. He hauled himself over to her, pressing his nose into her side. "You would have been too if I'd gotten here a moment later." His voice was barely a whisper.

Webstar closed his eyes, pain rippling down his pelt. "Heathershade, Grassdaze, help Sparrowdawn and Hidinglight back to camp. Halfmoon needs to look at them." Obediently, the two she-cats rushed to their sopping sides. Heathershade offered for her former apprentice to lean against her side. Grassdaze pressed her flank against Hidinglight, helping the small tortoiseshell onto her back and shooting her a sympathetic glance. Too exhausted and grieved to argue, Hidinglight let them carry her, glancing back once more towards the dark water. Webstar sat down, claws digging into the sand, and curled his tail around his paws, holding a silent vigil for the daughter he'd raised from birth.

* * *

Sparrowdawn padded into the medicine den with Hidinglight and the rest of the patrol. The lake water had chilled him to the bone, but he was in a much better state than Hidinglight, who had willingly walked into the water. _Mouse-brain!_ He thought again. Sparrowdawn thought back to the fervent way with which the she-cat had insisted that someone save her friend. He'd known, as did the rest of the patrol, that it was far too late to save the she-cat.

Butterflykit was sitting beside Smokekit in a nest. Fidgetkit tossed a moss ball back and forth with Wildkit. _Why are they in here?_ He wondered wearily. They dashed around the den, chasing each other. Sparrowdawn noticed that Smokekit remained in his nest, watching the pair with sad eyes. Butterflykit sniffed the grey and white kit, expression worried.

Halfmoon was talking gingerly to Hidinglight, but Sparrowdawn could tell that the white she-cat was feeling the grief of her lost daughter. _We've all lost so much, _ He mused, gaze flecking back towards the grey and white kit. Butterflykit padded over to Halfmoon, a decision in her eyes. "Halfmoon," She mewed certainly. "I want to be a medicine cat."

Halfmoon stiffened, glancing towards Butterflykit in surprise. "Are you sure?" She mewed, doubt creeping into her voice. The young kit was unfazed, however, and she nodded solemnly. "I've had to watch while Sunnykit, Raydawn, Blizzardburst, and now Smokekit get sick. I've felt powerless. I want to be able to heal my Clanmates so that nothing like this will happen ever again." Sparrowdawn was struck by shock; he swiveled his gaze to settle on Smokekit. _So that's why they were all in here, _ He realized with a sinking heart. _Hasn't there been enough death?_

Sparrowdawn had to admit that he admired the conviction in Butterflykit's mew. She seemed much wiser than a kit of her age. _All of this death has forced her to grow up faster than she should have,_ He realized. He stared around the medicine den, at his lifelong friend, curled up in a bereaved, shivering heap; at the kits who had lost so much; at the empty nests where Dawnfeather, Fawnspring, and Blizzardburst had lost their lives. He thought back towards Bravekit, so positive and hopeful. Would he have to grow up that way too?

He felt as if the walls of the den were closing in around him. Sparrowdawn took in deeper breaths, backing out of the den into the cool night air. Without looking, he whirled around and made to dash away from the suffocating scent of death, but a tiny form tripped him up and he crashed into the dust.

A tiny cream and white kit blinked at him. "Sparrowdawn!" He squeaked, wagging his tail. Bravekit bumbled over to him, nuzzling his belly. Sparrowdawn felt a lump rise in his throat. The kit was barely a moon old and even he had lost so much. Before he was even born, he'd lost his siblings and his father, his mother had ignored him, and now even she was dead.

_This can't be right,_ He despaired. _Has StarClan truly abandoned us? Is there nothing we can do but wait and watch our Clanmates die?_

* * *

It was just before dawn. Hidinglight's shivered form had recovered and was now resting deeply in her nest. Sparrowdawn steeled himself. There was no way he was going to let things go on this way.

"Hidinglight," He mewed gently so as not to wake any other cats in the den. He gently pawed at the she-cat, and she stirred, blinking at him with bleary hazel eyes. "Sparrowdawn? Is everything alright?"

Sparrowdawn swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Hidinglight, we need to leave," He mewed quietly. Hidinglight was instantly alert. Her eyes widened and she struggled up in her nest. "What? Why?" She whispered. Sparrowdawn shook his head, working his paws into the soil. "There's nothing but death for us here. We're hardly a Clan. I can't sit by and wait to die from Cold Paw."

Hidinglight's eyes were wide with concern. "We have to be here for our Clan!" She despaired. Sparrowdawn shook his head, willing her to see reason. "Please, Hidinglight. I can't do this without you. I don't know what I'll do if..." He choked up, trailing off. He pictured her gasping for her last breaths, whimpers and cries as Cold Paw took every inch of her body. He pictured her taking her last, shuddering breath, and falling still, much as she had with every nightmare that warned her of this illness.

"I can't watch you die," Sparrowdawn mewed with barely a whisper. "Please, help me. We can find a life away from here." His voice heightened desperately, and every patch of fur in his body urged him to kneel down and beg the she-cat.

Something he said clicked with her, though. Hidinglight stiffened, staring at him, gaze searching. To his surprise, she let out a curt nod, rising to her paws. "Alright. But I'm not leaving Bravekit." Sparrowdawn could have cried with relief. "Of course not," He mewed, picturing the tiny cream and white kit. They were all he had, after all.

"Get ready, I want to leave before anyone wakes up," He whispered urgently, and Hidinglight nodded, shooting a sorrowful look towards the sleeping kits on the other side of the den. The tiniest flickers of doubt crossed his mind, but Sparrowdawn brushed them away. This had to be the right decision. There was no other choice.

He padded into the nursery, where Bravekit still lay sleeping. Because Halfmoon had insisted Hidinglight remain in the medicine den for the night, Sparrowdawn had stayed with the tiny kit. He gently nudged the cream and white form, and Bravekit stretched sleepily, blinking kit-blue eyes at Sparrowdawn.

"Hey, buddy. We're gonna go on an adventure." The kit perked up instantly, curious and excited. "An adventure? Where are we going?" He squeaked, leaping to his tiny paws. "Am I going to be a warrior?"

Sparrowdawn felt the lump tighten in his throat. "Not yet, Bravekit. It's just gonna be you, me, and Hidinglight, okay?" At that, the small kit's eyes flecked doubtfully. "What about Fidgetkit?" He mewed, "She promised to show me the best places to hide the pinecone."

Sparrowdawn shook his head. "We're going on a special mission from StarClan," He lied. "We need you to help us stay brave." Bravekit puffed his chest out proudly. "I can do that!" He squeaked. "I'm the bravest cat in the Clan! That's why momma named me Bravekit!" Sparrowdawn forced a purr, briefly nuzzling the kit. "That's right. Now, we have to be quiet, it's a secret mission, okay?" Bravekit nodded seriously, as if he'd been charged with the greatest secret of all the Clans.

Silently, Sparrowdawn guided the kit to Hidinglight, where she was pacing worriedly at the entrance to the camp. He looked up in the sky; it was still dark, but in the east, the black sky showed the first blue signs of dawn. They didn't have much time to get out undetected. "We'll have to hurry," He mewed, and Hidinglight nodded, nuzzling Bravekit before picking him up by the scruff.

Then, without another word, they silently slipped into the shadows.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_"Those kits have dark times ahead of them."_

_"I know of Little Moon. You are the catalyst."_

Bubble's words echoed in Hidinglight's mind as they crossed out of ShadowClan territory. When she'd asked Sparrowdawn where they should go, she'd seen a flicker of uncertainty cross his eyes. Yet, Hidinglight was certain that this journey had been meant to happen all along. _"You must help him. It is your destiny."_

_Though, I'm not sure how much leaving the Clans is going to help him,_ She mused silently.

_"I know of Little Moon. You are the catalyst."_

Littlemoon's death _had_ been the catalyst that sent Sparrowdawn into certainty about the need to leave. How had Bubble known all of those things? Hidinglight had discussed it with Halfmoon at one point, who'd merely said that even medicine cats follow signs from StarClan in the wind, trees, and yes, even the moon.

All of these things led Hidinglight to believe that they would find much more on this journey than they were expecting to. She hadn't mentioned it yet, but her heart dropped into her paws when she thought about the gentle coldness that hadn't left the tips of her hind paws since she'd tried to save Littlemoon. She had hoped that her hind paws were just taking a bit longer to recover from the incident than the rest of her, but she knew the truth deep down; she had Cold Paw. She was going to die the same frightening, suffocating death that she'd experienced so many times in her dreams.

What frightened her even more than this fact, however, was the movement she felt deep in her belly, which became more and more lively each day. Hidinglight hadn't noticed it at first; she'd thought she was just tired, that her stomach was upset because of how frightening this illness was. But when she'd sworn she was going to drown, she'd felt something else. Something that gave her the energy to give that last burst towards the surface.

She hadn't told Sparrowdawn, of course. If she told him, she'd also have to tell him that she had Cold Paw. There was no sense in him worrying yet over something that was inevitable. Hidinglight replayed the images of Bravekit's birth in her mind, remembering how four out of five of Littlemoon's kits had been born dead, and she shuddered.

And what about Bravekit? Hidinglight glanced towards the kit who was now dozing on top of Sparrowdawn's back. Cold Paw certainly _seemed_ to be contagious, after all, though the rest of the Clan had taken little care to avoid it, if that were the case. What if she gave it to Bravekit and Sparrowdawn? Her heart clenched with fear at the thought of causing their deaths, and at once she understood the ferocity Snailfoot had shown when he demanded Smokekit and Fidgetkit stay away.

They walked in the direction of the twoleg place that Hidinglight had come from so long ago, though they skirted the edge, keeping well within the shady expanse of the pine forests. A light rain began to fall, but fortunately they were dry under the cover of the trees. "I wonder what happened to Runningleaf's patrol," Hidinglight mused aloud, ear flicking as a drop of rain splattered on her.

"I think they might have gotten Cold Paw," Sparrowdawn meowed grimly. "From what I've heard about the Tribe, it doesn't take three moons to go there and back. Or maybe they realized that there was no cure and decided to stay with in the mountains where it was safe." Hidinglight remained silent, worry spiking the fur along her spine. "Runningleaf doesn't know about Ravensky, and Nettlefire doesn't know about Littlemoon. Or the fact that he's Jaystar's son." She sighed. "Even if they do come back to ShadowClan, what are they really coming back to?"

"Exactly," Sparrowdawn mewed, shooting her a sympathetic look. Suddenly, the fur along his pelt bushed up, and she pushed Sparrowdawn into the trunk of a tree. At once, she was overwhelmed by a scent she recognized all too well. Her body tensed with fear as more foxes than she'd thought were possible streamed between the trees, yipping and running. Hidinglight was sure that they were done for, but the foxes took no notice of the cats, and she noticed that their eyes were wide with fear, their steps frantic.

"What's wrong with them?" Sparrowdawn whispered, blinking in confusion. Bravekit stirred on his back. "Momma?" He wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell?"

Hidinglight shushed the kit, and they waited silently until the last of the foxes had run well past them. "Those were foxes, Bravekit. You'd look like easy prey to them," Sparrowdawn informed the kit, whiskers twitching with amusement. Bravekit bristled. "No way! I'm a warrior!" He boasted proudly and Hidinglight had to hold back a _mrrrroow_ of amusement. He couldn't fight a mouse.

They continued onward for most of the day, save for the occasional breaks to hunt, staying attentive for any stray foxes, but the forest remained eerily silent. More than once the trio saw large groups of animals fleeing through the forest. It unsettled Hidinglight so much that she almost forgot to worry about the coldness at the tips of her hind paws.

"Let's rest here for the night," Sparrowdawn announced, flicking his tail towards a stale fox den. Hidinglight hesitated, eyeing Bravekit worriedly. "Are you sure?" She mewed, padding forward and giving the entrance a cautious sniff. Sure enough, the den smelled stale. Hidinglight wondered if the foxes from this den had been the ones they had seen much earlier in the day, fleeing as if a whole group of dogs were after them.

"Alright," Hidinglight agreed after a moment. "Do you mind if I go hunt? I want to check the area to make sure those foxes are gone." Sparrowdawn purred, nuzzling her. "What happened to scaredy-mouse Hide-y?" He teased, whiskers twitching. Hidinglight rolled her eyes. "I've grown a lot," She responded, briefly pressing her pelt to his and touching Bravekit with her nose before she turned towards the forest.

Hidinglight padded outward from the fox den, beginning at a cautious pace, jaw open to taste for any hint of foxes or prey. However, when each step garnered no trace of either, she picked up pace to a trot, careful to watch for any stray sticks and keep her steps silent. Soon enough, she found herself dashing through the forest, skirting trees, enjoying the feel of warm blood coursing through her veins. _Who knows how much longer I'll be able to do this_, She reflected grimly. The movement in her belly spun and swirled gleefully, as if enjoying the ride.

When she finally slowed to a stop, heaving for breath, dusk was beginning to fall. Hidinglight opened her jaws to taste the air, but again, there seemed to be little sign of any other living creatures. Her pelt prickled uneasily, twitching her whiskers. Something was wrong. Hidinglight's pelt stood on end and she whirled around, half expecting something to burst out and attack her. But the forest remained eerily silent.

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Hidinglight took a few startled steps back, unsheathing her claws. That's when she noticed that, instead of a fox, badger, or even another cat, a blue light seemed to be hovering three fox-lengths from the ground, suspended between two thin pines, and reaching up towards the sky.

Hidinglight's breath quickened. _What is that?_ She wondered fearfully. Hidinglight remained still as a stone, though she quickly noticed that the light wasn't moving.

"Hidinglight," A quiet voice came, and she jumped, whirling around for its source. "It's time. You have to help him." Hidinglight's pelt stood on end, testing the air with her whiskers. All of the certainty that something was amiss since they'd left ShadowClan seemed to be caving in on her. "Hurry! He's in danger!" The voice called, more urgently now, and Hidinglight backed away from the stream of light, dashing back the way she came.

There were more of those mysterious beams of light, all rising up towards the sky. Panic flooded Hidinglight's veins with adrenaline. _Great StarClan, what is happening?_ She despaired. The uneasiness in the air that she'd sensed with her whiskers seemed to become thicker, as if the sky were crackling with tension. Hidinglight pushed her claws against the earth, cursing herself for running so far from the fox den. She hadn't noticed before, but she was running on an uphill slope.

As the den came into sight, Hidinglight let out a loud yowl. "Sparrowdawn!" She shrieked, voice heightened with fear. Instantly, Sparrowdawn poked his head out of the den, ears pricked and eyes alert with alarm. "What? What's wrong?" He demanded. Bravekit stumbled out of the den, eyes alight with excitement. "Momma!" He squeaked happily.

She ran the rest of the distance as if she were flying. Acting without understanding of her own actions, she grasped Sparrowdawn by the scruff, hurling him away from the den. Not a second later, a loud rumbling sound filled the air, and the earth disappeared beneath her paws.

* * *

Sparrowdawn watched in horror as the earth beneath Hidinglight cracked and gave way, and she disappeared with a shriek of fear. "Hidinglight!" He yowled, stumbling at the edges as the earth swayed and cracked beneath him. Bravekit wailed in terror as a crack made its way between his paws. Sparrowdawn dashed over to the cream-and-white form, grasping him by the scruff and pushing his paws against the ground, away from the cracking earth that almost seemed to breathe.

Trees swayed above him, threatening to fall. At once, the ground beneath his paws shook, and he lost his balance, crashing into the pine needles at his feet. Bravekit shrieked as he fell to the ground, eyes wide with fear. "Come on, Bravekit, we have to keep going!" Sparrowdawn yowled, stumbling to his feet and grasping the kit once again by his scruff. He ran in no particular direction; every instinct he had told him he just had to get away from the spot where the earth had disappeared.

Sparrowdawn tried not to think about the image of Hidinglight being swallowed up by the earth. If he did, he wouldn't be able to keep moving, to keep Bravekit safe, which is what she would want. So they ran, even long after the earth had stopped moving. Now and then he would feel a quiver beneath his paws, though much weaker than the one that had taken Hidinglight. His whole form tensed up with fear, half expecting the earth to crack and disappear once again.

When he finally felt safe enough to stop, dawn was lighting up the sky. Sparrowdawn curled into the roots of a large tree, his paws aching with exhaustion, pulling Bravekit close to him. Despite their exhaustion, they both jumped at every sound, and sleep did not come easy.

"Sparrowdawn," Bravekit whimpered quietly. "What about Hidinglight?"

Sparrowdawn stared out into the lightening forest. It seemed peaceful and quiet after such a horrifying event had happened. His paws felt heavy and his chest hurt at the thought of Hidinglight being swallowed into the earth. He knew that if he didn't have Bravekit, he would have leapt after her in a heartbeat to try and save her. _But then you'd be just as dead as her,_ He told himself. _She saved you for a reason._ He longed to go back to try and find her, or at least to find her body. He winced at the thought. _No! She's alive. She has to be._ But they had been running blindly all night, and all of the pines looked the same. Even if Hidinglight had survived, Sparrowdawn had lost all sense of direction while they fled, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to find her again.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat. They had to try, at least. "We're going to stay here for a little bit, and then we'll try to find her, okay buddy?" Sparrowdawn promised, gazing up at the lightening sky. His eyelids felt heavy, and he curled his tail around the small cream colored kit. He knew that even if he wanted to go now, he was in no shape to travel so far. He would collapse on his paws.

"StarClan will keep her safe, right?" Bravekit inquired, his small body trembling uncertainly. Sparrowdawn felt his chest tighten, the hints of that thorn seeming to return. "Of course they will," He assured Bravekit, willing himself to believe his own words. "Now let's hurry to sleep. We won't be able to do Hidinglight any good if we fall asleep on the way back."

Bravekit nodded reluctantly, but the tiny form was asleep almost instantly. When Sparrowdawn tried to join him, however, his mind replayed the image of Hidinglight vanishing with the earth in front of him, over and over again.

* * *

Dust crowded the air. Her leg hung behind her uselessly, bent at an awkward angle. Her body was covered with scratches and matted blood. Hidinglight let out tiny whimpers of pain, feeling her body tense periodically. There was so much blood. She wanted to wail with sorrow, to beg StarClan not to take them, but she knew it was no use. It was too soon, and her body was too broken to hold them anymore.

She phased in and out of consciousness, shivering with chills, then sweating with fever. She remained limp against the shattered earth beneath her. When she awoke, she swore in a feverish haze that she saw Sparrowdawn and Bravekit beside her, their bodies limp and bloodied. When she was asleep, it was her kits.

It was the feeling of a gentle tongue lapping her blood matted pelt that made her more aware than she'd been throughout the night after the earth collapsed. Hidinglight blinked through bleary eyes, spotting tabby, ginger, and white colors. She closed her eyes again. Was she going to join StarClan now? Her heart sank. _Poor Sparrowdawn. He's lost so much._

At least she knew that he was alive. StarClan's warnings had led up to that moment. There's no way her actions would have been for nothing. Sparrowdawn was alive, and that was all that mattered. He would be able to take care of Bravekit.

"Fawnspring," Hidinglight murmured, blinking open her eyes again. "He's okay, right? Did I do well?" The motherly she-cat stared back at her with all the wisdom of the stars. "Of course, Hidinglight. He's safe. So is Bravekit. And I will take care of your kits until its your time to join us."

Hidinglight opened her eyes widely in surprise. Beside Fawnspring, two tiny kits - older than they could have possibly been so early, but she doubted StarClan had rules about that sort of thing - stared at her with wide blue eyes. One kit was dotted with black and white. Another was a ginger tabby kit. Hidinglight couldn't hold back the purr that rumbled in her chest, and her eyes glistened. "They're beautiful," She whispered, feeling a sense of longing and sorrow that they would never grow to be that big, that they would never grow to play and eventually become warriors.

Fawnspring seemed to sense her sadness. "They will have life in StarClan," She assured her, curling her tail around the tiny kits. Hidinglight blinked through the shimmering in her eyes. "Then I'm not going yet?" Fawnspring shook her head. "It's not your time, little one. You still have much to do. The sun has yet to rise."

Hidinglight swiveled her gaze back to her kits. "I will name you Dawnkit," She murmured towards the ginger kit, "After your father. And you will be named Littlekit." Her heart tightened at the memory of her longtime friend, Littlemoon. The two kits purred, nuzzling her gently. Fawnspring rasped her tongue over Hidinglight's head once more, before she and the kits disappeared into a breeze of stardust.

* * *

_It was finally Hidinglight's time to save Sparrowdawn. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; sorry it was a little shorter. And, as always, thanks for reading!_


	18. Chapter 18

_CW: There is a mildly graphic description in the second portion of this chapter that might be a bit uncomfortable for some viewers. It's not really super "descriptive blood and guts everywhere blah" but the content in general might bother some people so I wanted to give a heads up. If you're uncertain, skip down to the bottom for a mild spoiler and use your own judgement._

**Chapter 18**

Sparrowdawn eased between the pines, Bravekit bumbling by his side. It had been two sunrises, but each tree seemed to look like any other. He was sure that they were more lost than they had been before, but he couldn't give up searching for Hidinglight. Even if all he found was her body, he had to find her.

Sparrowdawn swore he would have gone insane by now if it weren't for Bravekit. When they took breaks, he showed the tiny kit how to chew up fresh-kill enough for himself, and even how to practice techniques such as the hunting crouch. Bravekit had been thrilled, and it was a good distraction for the both of them from Hidinglight's missing presence.

He'd known that the area they had been at had been on an uphill slope, but they had been walking on an uphill slope for what felt like forever, and nothing looked familiar. The ground was all intact, and if anything, it seemed that it were becoming more rocky, the trees more sparsely populated. Sparrowdawn had seen no sign of the twolegplace they had been skirting, nor had he seen any sign of any other cats. His pawsteps were heavy with loneliness and grief, but he had to maintain a brave face for the energetic young kit by his side.

"Look, Sparrowdawn! I'm a warrior!" The kit called, and Sparrowdawn jumped with surprise. Bravekit had climbed to the top of a great boulder, jutting out of the sloped earth. At once, the kit threw himself into the air, letting out a war cry as he crashed into the pine needles below.

Sparrowdawn rushed to his side, fur bristling with fear. "What are you doing?" He hissed, pulling the kit up by his scruff. Bravekit squeaked in protest. He sniffed the kit over, checking for any injuries. "Mouse-brain! Don't you realize you could have been hurt? What if the ground had collapsed again?" He chided the kit, feeling his chest tighten with fear at the thought. If he lost Bravekit, then he'd truly have nothing.

"I-I was just pretending to be a warrior," Bravekit stammed, tail curled behind his hind legs in fear at Sparrowdawn's harsh tone. The warrior sighed, closing his eyes, tail lashing with irritation. "You're still little, Bravekit. You have to be careful. Please stay close to me. We don't know this area, and we don't know if there are any foxes or other cats around."

Bravekit puffed his fur on end, letting out a _very_ menacing growl...or, squeak, rather. "They wouldn't wanna mess with me!" He mewed, "I'm a warrior." Sparrowdawn's whiskers twitched. "I'm serious, Bravekit," He mewed gruffly, trying to remain solemn despite his amusement, and the cream and white kit flattened his ears to his head, fixing his gaze on his paws. "Yes, Sparrowdawn," He mumbled.

They continued forward silently, but when Sparrowdawn glanced up towards the sky, he stiffened. In front of them stood mountains that jutted high into the sky above them. Now, he knew they were definitely going the wrong way. "Woah!" Bravekit breathed, following Sparrowdawn's gaze. He looked at the young warrior, kit-blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "Are we going up there?"

Sparrowdawn shook his head, looking back the way they came. "We have to find Hidinglight. We didn't see any mountains by the foxes den before. We have to go back and try to find the right way." Bravekit looked disappointed for a brief moment before lighting up again, trotting back the way they'd come. "I can't wait till we find momma. I want to show her how big I've gotten."

Sparrowdawn choked back laughter. "It's been two days, mouse-brain!" His tail flicked on the small kit's pelt briefly before he scanned the area. "I hate to say that I wish we could find twolegs, but I wish we could find twolegs," Sparrowdawn mused, more to himself than Bravekit. "At least then we'd know we were close to where the fox den had been."

Bravekit stared at Sparrowdawn curiously. "What are twolegs?" The young warrior snorted. "Nothing but trouble. It's best to stay away from them," He meowed curtly. But the cream colored kit wasn't satisfied. "Then why were we traveling by them?" Bravekit inquired, tilting his head.

Sparrowdawn flicked his ears. "I didn't want to get lost," He admitted. Bravekit let out a _mrrrooow_ of laughter. "Well, you did a great job of that!" Bravekit retorted, blue eyes beaming. Sparrowdawn shot the kit a look, but inwardly he was wondering where he'd gotten such sass. _He's not even my kit and he's taking after me_, He mused.

Suddenly, a grey blur crashed into Sparrowdawn, claws unsheathed. He let out a gasp as the wind got knocked out of him at the impact, instinctively rolling to protect his belly. Who was his attacker? How hadn't he noticed them coming his way?

"Sparrowdawn!" Bravekit squeaked, eyes wide with fear. At the kit's voice, Sparrowdawn drew all of the strength he could muster and threw himself - and his assailant - into the air diagonally, throwing them off. Gathering his footing before his attacker, Sparrowdawn dashed in front of Bravekit, his pelt on end.

Yet, his attacker made no move to come towards him. Instead, the tiny, strikingly familiar silver form scrabbled to her paws, looking quite pleased with herself. "Bubble?!" Sparrowdawn hissed in disbelief. Bubble looked over her shoulder, ears flicked towards some pine trees. "How'd I do, Nettlefire? I'd say I did a pretty great job of stalking silently, just like a ShadowClan cat!" The small she-cat purred, chest puffed out proudly. Like a ghost, the spiky furred grey tabby materialized from the shadows, blinking approvingly at Bubble. Then he glanced at Sparrowdawn curiously. "You're losing your touch, Sparrowpaw."

"Sparrow_dawn_," He corrected, tail lashing irritably. Nettlefire looked unimpressed. "Does it matter?" He inquired. "You couldn't even detect a non-Clan apprentice stalking you." He eyed the tiny kit behind Sparrowdawn, eyes narrowed. "Who's this?"

Sparrowdawn's mouth dropped open, but no words came out. Where did he even start? Before he could figure out what to say, Bravekit stumbled forward, his tiny cream pelt on end. "I'm Bravekit! I can take on both of you at once! I'm a warrior!" Sparrowdawn's heart sank at the thought of Bravekit trying to fight two full grown cats, but Nettlefire's whiskers merely twitched with amusement. "I bet," He drawled, swiveling his gaze to meet Sparrowdawn's. "What are you doing all the way out here with such a tiny kit?"

"And what are you doing all the way out here when your Clan needed you?" Sparrowdawn retorted, his pelt bristling. Bubble stepped forward, flicking her tail protectively over Nettlefire. "It's not his fault. Runningleaf and the two ThunderClan cats got sick too, shortly after we left. We couldn't go back but we couldn't just leave them."

Nettlefire nodded, gaze darkening. "And when we did get to the Tribe, they wanted nothing to do with us. They warned us about bringing that illness into their camp, and said they didn't know much more than we did. It didn't help our case that Bubble conveniently forgot to mention that she had been part of the Tribe before she came our way and had abruptly left them."

Sparrowdawn gazed with shock towards the tiny she-cat, who shrugged. "I had to follow the Moon. They wanted me to be the next Teller Of Pointed Stones, but I could see that I had a different destiny to follow." Nettlefire purred in amusement at the she-cat, and Sparrowdawn narrowed his eyes at the pair. The normally grumpy warrior seemed to find Bubble's antics to be quite charming, and they had obviously grown close on their long journey.

Nettlefire turned towards Sparrowdawn, a brief flicker of worry crossing his eyes. "So what's going on back in ShadowClan? Why are you out here, Sparrowdawn?" Sparrowdawn looked towards Bravekit, who was listening curiously to the conversation. Clearly, he only understood about half of it, but Sparrowdawn was reluctant to reveal everything that had happened since they'd been gone in front of the kit.

Turning back towards the pair, Sparrowdawn gestured his tail to a shaded area underneath a stone overcrop. "I think this will take awhile. We should rest a bit," He suggested, and sensing the seriousness in his tone, Nettlefire followed obediently. Bubble remained close at his heels.

When they were all settled, Sparrowdawn told Bubble to play with Bravekit for a bit while he padded to a quiet area with Nettlefire. "We lost a lot of cats," He began hesitantly. Sparrowdawn listed off the cats that had succumbed to Cold Paw, avoiding the tom's green eyes as he did so. He hesitantly explained that Jaystar had died, and had only had one life. At this part, Nettlefire's eyes narrowed, but he remained otherwise silent as Sparrowdawn explained about his relationship with Halfmoon.

Nettlefire nodded thoughtfully, gazing up at the darkening sky. "So the truth finally came out," He mused. Sparrowdawn blinked. "You knew?" He asked incredulously. Nettlefire nodded, tail lashing. "I saw them together one time when I was really sick. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together," He drawled. "I never told Littlemoon, though. She was always really sensitive, and I knew she wouldn't take it well. How is she, anyways? Did she have her kits?" The last questions were a little hesitant, as if Nettlefire didn't quite want to know the truth.

Sparrowdawn nodded towards Bravekit. "He's her only surviving kit. She refused to raise him, basically giving him to Hidinglight to raise when he was born. Right before we left, she..." He trailed off, looking towards where Bubble was playing with Bravekit. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Littlemoon didn't take the death of her mate and her kits well," He whispered. "Once he was nearly a moon old she walked into the lake and never came out."

Nettlefire stiffened, and he closed his eyes, as if trying to block the truth from his sight. For several long, arduous moments, silence stretched between them. At last, Nettlefire cleared his throat, looking up towards the sky, eyes glistening. "I should have been there for her," He whispered. "This whole mission has turned out to be useless. I should have never left."

Sparrowdawn awkwardly touched the tom with his tail. "I don't think there was anything you could have done. Hidinglight barely left her side and she still couldn't save her."

Nettlefire ignored his meager attempts to comfort him, and glanced towards Bravekit again, sadness clouding his gaze. "So did you leave because everyone else died?" He asked, shoulders slumped. Sparrowdawn shuffled his paws. "I felt like we were all just waiting to die. I told Hidinglight that we needed to leave, and we brought Bravekit with. But the other day..." He trailed off. How could he explain the way the earth had broken apart and swallowed Hidinglight up?

"It was like the earth was moving. She saved me and Bravekit, and the ground she was underneath collapsed. It was still cracking and moving beneath us so we had to run away, but it was the middle of the night. We've been trying to find our way back for two days now. Even if she's dead I... I have to know." His voice broke at the last part; Sparrowdawn hated appearing weak in front of his notoriously sharp-tongued Clanmate, but the worry for Hidinglight was driving him mad.

Instead of judgement, however, Nettlefire shot him a sympathetic look. "I understand," He mewed. "We can help you back to - you said it was the forests outside the twolegplace?" Wordlessly, Sparrowdawn nodded. "Bubble and I can guide you back there. Unlike you, we didn't get lost. It seems you need a real warrior on your journey." The tom's whiskers twitched.

Sparrowdawn's tail lashed irritably at the petty jab but he bit back the sharp retort heavy on his tongue and dipped his head. "Thank you, Nettlefire. It means so much to me and Bravekit."

As if on cue, the little kit escaped from Bubble and bounded over, tackling the white and tabby tom with a growl. "Oof!" Sparrowdawn exclaimed, dramatically falling to the earth as the tiny kit pummelled him with sheathed paws. "Alright, alright, you got me! I'm well on my way to StarClan now."

Bravekit immeditately leaped off of the warrior, fur standing on end. "Oh no!" He wailed, horror in his eyes. "I've broken the warrior code! I'm not supposed to kill you!" Realizing his mistake, Sparrowdawn threw his paws up into the air dramatically. "Oh, nevermind, I was just stunned! I'll never come on ShadowClan territory again, please let me go, oh fierce warrior!"

Bravekit looked doubtful for a moment before his eyes lit up again and his chest puffed out proudly. "Yes, well, you'd better stay off my territory, otherwise next time you might not be so lucky!" He threatened playfully, swiping at Sparrowdawn. Once the game was over, he eyed Nettlefire suspiciously. "Who are you?" He mewed. Bravekit looked at Sparrowdawn questioningly. "Should I chase him off of ShadowClan territory as well?"

Sparrowdawn scrambled to his paws, discomfort pricking the fur along his spine. "No, Bravekit. He's ShadowClan." He glanced at Nettlefire, but the tom's gaze was fixed on the tiny kit. "He's your kin."

Bravekit's eyes widened as he took in the large warrior. "My kin?" He asked, incredulous. "How?" Sparrowdawn shuffled his paws. "He's your mother's littermate, Bravekit," He mewed gently. However, the young kit still looked confused. "But Hidinglight's only littermate was a girl kittypet," He chirped, padding in a circle around the spiky furred tom. Sparrowdawn swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Not Hidinglight, Bravekit. Your birth mother, Littlemoon. You remember her right?"

Bravekit scoffed at Sparrowdawn in disbelief. "Not Littlemoon! She just fed me because momma's milk wouldn't come. She told me herself." The white warrior's jaw dropped a moment, and he found himself at loss for words. Fortunately, Nettlefire stepped forward, expression gentle towards the young kit. "Just trust that we are kin, little one," He mewed. Bravekit studied the grey tabby for a moment before his expression lit up. "Cool! Will you help me become a warrior?"

Nettlefire purred, pawing gently at the kit. "Of course."

* * *

Three days later, the chatty patrol grew solemn as they discovered more and more cracked earth and fallen trees the closer they got towards the fox den where Sparrowdawn had last seen Hidinglight. Now, he stood several fox lengths away from the earth that had given way in front of him just a quarter moon ago, and even Bravekit seemed frightened, quivering uneasily as if he expected the earth to quake once more.

Sparrowdawn felt his heart sink to his paws as he approached the crevice, signalling with his tail for Bravekit to stay back. The earth had collapsed so that it was a steep cliff, four fox lengths across, and half a tree-length down. At the bottom, he could make out the cracked chunks of dirt and rubble from the earth, but he was too far away to see Hidinglight.

The thorn in his chest had returned, sharper than ever. "I'm going down," He announced, paws trembling at the edge. Should he try leaping, or climbing?

"Wait, mouse-brain," Nettlefire mewed, approaching the edge carefully. "If you jump or fall from here, you will fall to your death." Sparrowdawn opened his mouth to argue, but the grey tom gestured with his tail towards the quivering kit beside Bubble. "If she's down there, and he loses you too, how do you think he will feel?" He mewed in a low voice. Sparrowdawn swallowed, and he scanned the edges of the clifface, looking for an area that would be easier to climb down from.

"Over there looks a little easier," Nettlefire mewed, gesturing half a tree length to their left, where the rubble of the earth crumbled into a steady slope. Sparrowdawn nodded, making his way over to the dusty ledge and testing the ground with his paw. His paw sunk down just a mouse-length, and he steadily put one paw in front of the other, making sure to test each step. The last thing he needed was to cause another collapse.

When he finally set his paws on solid ground, Sparrowdawn let out an unsteady breath and raised his gaze towards the yawning crevice before him. He padded forward slowly at first, before picking up speed to a brisk trot until he came to a staggering halt over where the fox den had clearly fallen to.

Blood soaked the rocks and dirt beneath his paws. So much blood. Sparrowdawn's breathing quickened, and he swore his heart would burst with fear. There was no way a cat could lose that much blood and survive. At every rock he swept his gaze on, he half expected to find Hidinglight's buried and broken body. And yet, each pain-staking moment came up empty. He studied and sniffed the pool of blood, padding lightly at some rocks beside it. She wouldn't have been buried too deeply for that much blood to be at the surface. So where was she?

Sparrowdawn swept the _subsequent_ area for clues, a tiny flicker of hope crawling in his chest as he spotted a small trail of bloodied drops and pawprints. _Is she alive?_ He wondered to himself, scarcely daring to breathe. He followed the trail, nose to the ground, to a small mound of dirt. Here, blood seemed to seep through the dirt, as if some cat were buried there. Sparrowdawn sucked in a breath, pelt bristling, and gently pawed away some of the dirt. Had some cat found her body and buried her?

Instead of his lifelong friend, however, what Sparrowdawn uncovered were two tiny pink bodies, which he assumed to be baby mice at first. Rather than answers, his discoveries seemed to be bringing up more questions. _Why would she bury baby mice?_ He wondered, staring dumbfounded at the still creatures. They seemed to have been cleaned carefully of any blood on them, as if someone had taken great care in burying them. _Do mice bury their kits now? _ He sniffed them curiously, feeling his body stiffen as he did so. Instead of the familiar scent of mouse, he detected a scent he'd recognize anywhere.

_Hidinglight!_ Sparrowdawn recoiled, letting out a high pitched sound that was somewhere between a choked sob and a scream. At once, Nettlefire appeared, peering over the top of the ledge. "Sparrowdawn, what's wrong?" The tom asked, narrowing his eyes. "Did you find her?"

Sparrowdawn couldn't speak. His whole body quaked, and he felt as if the earth were collapsing once more. There was no way... but the evidence was right in front of him. Gingerly, he approached the tiny forms, nudging them back to their resting place and covering them once more with earth.

Eyes glistening, he forced himself to look away, swallowing back a wail of emotion. _She was all alone. Why didn't she tell me?_ He despaired. He felt as if the world was spinning. "Let me go down there," A small voice mewed from above, and Sparrowdawn was scarcely aware as Bubble made her way down the slope behind him and padded to his side. She sniffed cautiously at the mound of earth while Sparrowdawn stared ahead unseeingly.

"Kits," He mewed, voice barely a whisper. "I had no idea." Bubble gently touched her tail to his back reassuringly. "Sparrowdawn, she was alive to bury them." She mewed gently, willing him to understand. Sparrowdawn blinked through bleary eyes, trying to make sense of what Bubble was telling him. He stared once more at the bloodied pawsteps leading to the mound of earth.

And then he noticed the trail leading away from it.

Sparrowdawn stumbled to his paws. She was alive - or at least, she had been. The blood faded quickly with the soft dust coating the ground, but there seemed to be no additional signs of bleeding, and as he raced to follow her scent trail, he noticed - with thick, painful hope - that there was no body in sight.

Hidinglight was alive.

* * *

_**REGARDING THE CONTENT WARNING: The scene in the second half of this chapter features Sparrowdawn walking into the crevice left behind from the earthquake. While he looks for Hidinglight, he notices some blood and ends up finding his buried kits that Hidinglight miscarried after the accident.**_

_**He then finds another trail leading away from the dirt and determines that Hidinglight is alive.**_

_**To The MoonClanner:** I loved some of your ideas. This chapter kind of wrote itself. Making Bubble previously Stoneteller-In-Training just felt... right. It just made sense, and I honestly hadn't considered it until I wrote it down in the story. Some of the things here weren't quite what I was planning for this story or the sequel, but I'm gonna roll with it because I like where this is going. I might make a short story about their adventure to the Tribe and maybe some of Bubble's backstory, but we'll see, because I already have three more stories planned branching off of this one in some way. I really liked the idea of that "Moon" cat guiding Bubble this entire time, and I'll try to see if I can fit any mention of that ancestor character into her conversation. However, it might be something that Bubble wishes to keep private; her own personal relationship with this ancestor is clearly a significant one given how much they have guided her. _

_About the illness thing. A big reason why I think so many of those illnesses have "Cough" at the end of them is because those specific illnesses are focused around a specific type of cat cold/pnemonia that features coughing. The reason I felt I couldn't name it "Frozen Cough" or anything like that is because this illness features no coughing symptoms. Surprisingly, I just read "Spottedleaf's Heart" and there was an illness called the "Thirsting Illness", which I've never seen mentioned in any other books. This leads me to think that there are many more unknown illnesses (Especially unnamed ones such as what took Leopardstar's last life) other than just the White, Green, Black, and Yellow Cough. I appreciate you looking out for that little detail though! I honestly struggled with coming up with a name for this illness that properly represented it, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm not the happiest with Cold Paw, but it's the best I was able to come up with at the time. If you (or anyone else!) has better ideas for the disease name (it can't feature Cough though, remember this illness has no coughing, just spreading bodily paralysis) I'll welcome them, I can always edit the few times it was mentioned. _

_**As always, thank you everyone for reading!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_Here it is everyone! Sorry it's been a couple days, I've had to work._

_To Random Fan's Sis: I'm so sorry! I am going to have an sort of AU to this story featuring those characters though, so hopefully that will be some compensation. And as I said before, Butterflykit is going to be extremely important to the Clan as their next medicine cat._

_To The MoonClanner: Those are some great name ideas. I think I have one that you'll like quite a bit, and I can't wait until I can change her name in the story to it._

* * *

**Chapter 19 **

Hidinglight dragged herself forward on her front paws, the ground cool and unforgiving beneath her belly. Her injured leg had stopped hurting a few sunrises ago, but so had any other part of her hind legs. It had taken a whole day to find an area of the crevice that she could climb out of with her injured leg. So shortly after, she'd lost the use of it completely; the Cold Paw had spread.

Fortunately, she still had control of her tail; the illness seemed to progress much faster once it claimed the tail. Unfortunately, the lack of use in her hind legs meant that she could no longer catch food for herself. Her stomach seemed to believe her throat was clawed out, and her belly tightened with hunger. It was hard enough to find prey this close to leaf-bare, much less if every move she made was accompanied by the sound of her hind legs dragging on the pine needles.

Hidinglight didn't know where she was going. She'd been crawling in the shadows of the twolegplace for some time now, desperate for any food scraps she might be able to find. It was her only option at getting something to eat. At this rate, she would starve long before the illness sent her to StarClan. She struggled in some undergrowth that skirted the edge of a twoleg building, senses alert.

She pulled herself to a dip in the grass, out into the open just enough to lap at a cool puddle. Hidinglight knew that it was risky straying from the shadows, especially in the twolegplace where dangers might be at every turn that she would be powerless to run from. But she had to go out into the open sometime, if only to quench her thirst.

"Is that you?"

A voice echoed over to the she-cat, and Hidinglight tensed, pelt bristling and alert. As silently as she could, she began backing towards the undergrowth she'd been hiding in. She doubted the animal was calling for her, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Heidi!" It called again, and Hidinglight's pelt stood on end. The word sounded familiar. She whirled her head around in search of the source, but she could see no living creature anywhere close to her. She backed closer to the twoleg building that the undergrowth skirted, but another loud yowl stopped her in her tracks.

"Heidi! It's me, Pretty Girl! I'm up here in the window!" Finally locating the source of the noise, Hidinglight spotted an elegant calico she-cat, staring at her incredulously from the other side of a square webbing. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Was that really Pretty Girl? Hidinglight looked around; this area looked completely different from the house she remembered living in as a kitten.

"We moved to a new house," Pretty Girl meowed calmly, guessing her thoughts. "Where did you go? Your person has been frantic." Hidinglight's paws trembled. _Momma!_ Memories of curling up at the head of where her mother slept, pressing her pelt against her nest and recieving a loving stroke and murmur in response flooded her mind. Had she truly found her way home at last?

A sound echoed from behind Pretty Girl, and the calico she-cat flicked her ears in response, seeming unconcerned at the sound of a twoleg voice. Hidinglight's fur stiffened head to toe. She couldn't let them see her like this! She'd never find her way back to Sparrowdawn and Bravekit!

_Maybe that's for the best_, She mused to herself, _Better they think I'm dead than to get their hopes up just to die of Cold Paw._

A creaking sounded, pulling Hidinglight out of her thoughts, and she shrunk into the grass, trying to remain as hidden as possible, though she stuck out plain as day. A female twoleg with long fur on her head peered from around a corner of the building, tensing at the sight of Hidinglight. Her eyes widened, glistening, and the twoleg brought her paws to her mouth, covering it up. She heard the muffled call of Hidinglight's kittypet name.

Hidinglight was trembling now; she knew that twoleg. "Momma!" She whimpered quietly. She felt as if her world was crashing down on her. _Mother, so much has happened. I have a son named Bravekit. I became a warrior._ She thought, mind whirring as the twoleg approached her cautiously, before scooping her up and holding Hidinglight in her arms. The female twoleg gently stroked her head, cooing to her in calming tones. The tortoiseshell allowed herself a moment to close her eyes, remembering her times as a kit in this same twoleg's arms.

_How fitting for me to die back at my old home_, Hidinglight contemplated, feeling her hind legs dangle. _I thought I'd never see Mother again. Or Pretty Girl. _

The twoleg seemed to notice Hidinglight's hind legs and her tone sharpened with worry. The she-cat had no idea what the twoleg was saying, but Pretty Girl seemed to listen intently. "No, she wasn't using her back legs," The pretty calico mewed to the twoleg, as if it could understand her. As Hidinglight's mother carried her to the entrance of their house, she tensed. _Should I fight back? What if I can't ever find my way back to them?_ The tortoiseshell despaired, conflicted. Seeming to sense her uneasiness, her mother cooed to her gently. The scents of the warm house flooded Hidinglight's senses as they stepped inside.

The twoleg shut the entrance behind them and set her down, staring at her intently. Pretty Girl hopped down from the window, giving the tortoiseshell a curious sniff, then recoiling. "You stink!" She hissed. Hidinglight's pelt bristled and she bared her teeth, but before she could respond, the twoleg was scooping up Pretty Girl and taking her away to some other area of the house. Seeing an opportunity, Hidinglight studied her surroundings and began dragging herself over to a shaded area where she could hide. Being surrounded by so many twoleg things may have comforted her in the past, but now it made her pelt stand on end uneasily.

A gasp sounded and Hidinglight froze, spotting her twoleg returning without Pretty Girl. The twoleg's eyes were wide and fixed on the warrior's hind legs, which dragged limply behind her. Pelt prickling uneasily, Hidinglight pushed herself up a little straighter and licked her chest fur. The brief moment seemed to pass and the female twoleg walked away, rattling coming from a brighter corner of the house.

Hidinglight turned back towards the shaded spot, pushing her body as far back into the hiding place as possible. Silence settled the area, and she allowed herself to relax a bit, closing her eyes slightly. She imagined how Sparrowdawn would react to her entering a twoleg den. She pictured him snidely calling her a kittypet again, and her ears flattened self-consciously. Guilt gnawed its way at her heart. _I shouldn't be here. I'm a ShadowClan warrior, not a kittypet._

That was when Hidinglight caught the scent that made her mouth water. She opened her jaws, feeling her belly clench painfully, and as if on cue, her mother set down a small dish with wet, savory smelling food, just a taillength away. Hidinglight didn't care about her discomfort anymore, or her misgivings about being in a twoleg den. She was starving, unable to catch food for herself, and it was right in front of her. The warrior struggled forward, scarfing the food down in just a few bites. The female twoleg let out a sound of surprise at her eagerness.

When she was finished with the food placed before her, Hidinglight licked her lips, her stomach distended with fullness. The twoleg stared at her curiously, hesitantly reaching its paw out to stroke her. The tortoiseshell held back a purr, confliction rising between her kithood as a kittypet and her life earned as a warrior.

* * *

It had been a quarter moon. The second sunrise Hidinglight had been there, her mother had tied a brightly colored vine around her and taken her outside, and then into the belly of a monster. Terrified, Hidinglight had clawed at the twoleg, but the vine (and her legs) prevented her from escaping. The monster had taken them to a bright, sharp smelling room where another twoleg - the vet, she recalled from her kithood - gently poked and prodded her, giving special attention to her useless hind legs. She couldn't understand anything the vet said except for one word repeated several times, which had puzzled her; "Parasite."

After the vet that day, they had gone back to the house where Hidinglight had retreated underneath the couch for near the rest of the day. From that day on, morning and night, the twoleg placed some sort of bitter seed into her mouth which she had no choice but to swallow. However, despite the time between when she had seen the twoleg last, Hidinglight doubted that her mother would give her anything that would hurt her. A bitter seed was a small price to pay for food and a warm, cozy den when she could barely walk.

The female twoleg had set up a slope to the window, so that Hidinglight was able to climb and look out. She stayed there most of her time, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of Sparrowdawn or Bravekit. She did notice, however, that as the days went by, it became easier for Hidinglight to get around. Her breathing came a little easier, and if she hadn't known any better, she would have assumed that some of the feeling was coming back to her hind legs.

Pretty Girl padded over to her, following her gaze. "Are you looking for your warriors?" The calico inquired, and Hidinglight twitched her ears. "I'm worried about them," She mewed, staring intently at the grass outside, which was darkening to a dull brown, and covered with fallen leaves. "Leaf-fall is around the corner and Bravekit is so little still. I hope they find somewhere safe to stay," Hidinglight murmured, more to herself than anyone else. Pretty Girl twitched her whiskers. "I don't envy them," She remarked. "It looks cold outside!"

The kittypet fixed her with an intense gaze. "But tell me, I've been dying to know. What do squirrels taste like?" Pretty Girl asked, tail tip twitching with curiosity. Hidinglight purred with amusement. "Better than kittypet food, that's for sure," She teased, and Pretty Girl swiped at her, claws sheathed.

Hidinglight padded over to the kitchen - Pretty Girl had given her the thorough tour of the house, once their mother had allowed them to be together - and sniffed at the bowl of water there. It was almost empty. As if on cue, her person bumbled into the kitchen, letting out a squeak of greeting towards the she-cat. Hidinglight echoed her with a chirp, and the twoleg's eyes seemed to gleam with happiness. She grabbed the bowl and set it on the counter, grabbing a dark colored object and filling that with water. The twoleg waited for the dark colored object to drip all of the water into the bowl before setting it back down on the ground, stroking Hidinglight and walking away.

Pretty Girl was close on her heels, lapping at the fresh water, but something Hidinglight had seen had caught her attention. "What was that thing she put the water into?" She mewed curiously. The calico blinked at her, as if struggling to remember. "I think it's called a filter? She won't let me drink out of the sink anymore. I remember her and the other twoleg talking together about an illness that's in the water around here, and it makes cats and other animals really sick."

Hidinglight blinked at Pretty Girl in alarm, hackles raising. "What kind of sick?" She asked in a low voice, but her sister merely shrugged. "I can only understand a bit of what they say, you know," She remarked dryly, turning back to the water.

Hidinglight turned away, staring back towards the window. She recalled memories of a Clan that lived and ate on the water, and how they had been the first to be hit with Cold Paw. Could it be the same illness?

* * *

Hidinglight stretched her hind legs, shaking them and testing her weight on them. The bitter seeds must have been some sort of twoleg herbs. She could scarcely believe that she had use of her legs again. Her paws still felt weak, especially after having not used her hind legs as much in the last half a moon, but she wasn't going to complain. She was surviving an illness that had taken the whole of RiverClan and most of ShadowClan. She just wished that she could bring those precious herbs back to her Clanmates.

Hidinglight's chest panged with longing at the thought of Sparrowdawn and Bravekit; and yes, her other Clanmates; Halfmoon's gentle kindness, Quicktuft's energy, Emberfall's wisdom. And Littlemoon's friendship, Hidinglight added, her shoulders sagging in memory of her friend. _If only we could have saved them. If only I'd known at the time that it was the water that was making everyone sick. But how could we have known?_ It seemed that even StarClan hadn't known the cause.

Thinking of StarClan, she remembered with a pang of worry that they hadn't spoken to her since she'd returned to her kittypet home. Had they given up on her as a warrior for giving into kittypet privileges? _I'm not staying!_ She wanted to yowl. _I just need to heal! I want to find Sparrowdawn and Bravekit!_ Hidinglight gathered her hind legs beneath her, extending them and launching herself up the twoleg tree. From here, she could see further outside of the twoleg den, but to her disappointment, she still saw no sign of her family.

_Please StarClan. Help me find them again, when I am well enough to._ Hidinglight's time trapped in the twoleg den had made her more certain that she had to warn the Clans about the water - what was left of them, anyway. She had no idea what actions were to be taken with that knowledge, but if she could take even a single step in the correct direction to save the Clans from this terrible illness, she would give her life to do so.

* * *

"Sparrowdawn, we can't keep looking for her. It's almost leaf-bare, and if we don't find someplace better to shelter, Bravekit will freeze to death," Nettlefire murmured, padding by the white-tabby tom's side. Sparrowdawn's jaw remained clamped shut. _Hidinglight wouldn't stop looking for us, so I won't stop looking for her!_

They had lost her scent trail just outside of the vast twolegplace. Nettlefire had proposed making a temporary camp somewhere safe and sending a cat or two out during the day to look for Hidinglight, so that Bravekit would be able to rest and stay warm. Now nearly a half moon had passed since he'd found her trail in the crevice, and it was obvious that the spiky furred tom was beginning to doubt the she-cat was alive after all.

Sparrowdawn remembered his reaction when he'd described, with fierce, burning hope, that he was certain Hidinglight was still alive. Nettlefire's eyes had held nothing but doubt and pity. Once or twice he'd tried to reason with him - _"How could she have survived a fall like that?"_ But Sparrowdawn wouldn't hear any of it. He knew, as sure as he was of StarClan and the warrior code itself, that his mate was out there somewhere, waiting for him to find her.

"You can go on back and look for a better place to camp. I'm going to keep looking for Hidinglight until I find her. I _know_ she's alive," Sparrowdawn insisted as Nettlefire narrowed his eyes, opening his jaw as if to protest. The grey tom sighed irritably. "Fine. But don't come crying to me about going on such a wild goose chase." With a lash of his tail, Nettlefire turned back the way they'd come, heading to where Bubble and Bravekit were huddling between two large oaks.

Sparrowdawn weaved in between the twoleg dens, senses heightened for danger and fur bristling uneasily. Although she was nearly as silent, he heard Bubble running his way and he flicked his ears in greeting. She padded beside him silently, and Sparrowdawn felt a flash of gratitude towards the small she-cat. Close as she was to Nettlefire, she never once seemed to doubt the white tom's certainty that Hidinglight was still alive.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to help," She mewed finally, guilt seeming to make her paws heavy. "Why won't you guide me to her?" The last words were almost silent, spoken under Bubble's breath, and Sparrowdawn assumed that they weren't meant for his ears. He shot the she-cat a curious look but her jaws remained clamped shut and her eyes focused ahead of her, and he didn't press it further. "You're not a medicine cat, Bubble. And even if you were, StarClan guides us when they feel like it. I'll find her," The white-tabby tom mewed with certainty.

Bubble twitched her ears in acknowledgement. "I just want you to know that she will be safe," She reminded him after a moment. "The full moon shown down on her in each of her dreams. Despite all that has happened, I'm certain that she is alive and well." Sparrowdawn held back a snort. He'd never believed the nonsense that the tiny cat spouted about the moon, especially when she clearly wasn't guided by StarClan, but he understood that Bubble was just trying to comfort him. There was no point in being rude when she had just as much faith as he did that Hidinglight was alive.

It did bother him that Hidinglight's scent trail had been impossible to track once she reached the twolegplace. Had she been taken by twolegs? Eaten by a dog? _No_, He assured himself, _She wouldn't be an easy target._ But what if she had gone willingly? Sparrowdawn remembered with a chill how sad the tortoiseshell had been once she'd realized she'd never find her way home. It had taken her moons to feel comfortable in the Clan. Maybe with everything that had happened, she'd decided to go back to life as a kittypet.

Sparrowdawn shook his head. _She wouldn't leave us like that. Even if she wanted to become a kittypet, she's developed a strong sense of duty and loyalty to her Clanmates since she joined ShadowClan. She wouldn't just abandon Bravekit and I without a word._

"Sparrowdawn!" Bubble hissed, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he tensed, spotting the she-cat crouched in some undergrowth that skirted a twoleg den. The tom padded over to her, eyes widening at the tiny tuft of fur caught in the bushes. He opened his jaws, drinking in the scent. _It's her! She's been here!_ This was the first trace of her they'd found since they'd lost her trail outside the twolegplace.

Sparrowdawn lifted his head up, gaze sweeping the area intently. He noticed with a start that there were tracks in the earth beneath their paws, as if she had dragged herself through this area. He followed the trail out into the open, where a dip in the earth had collected some rainwater. "Why would she have been dragging through the dirt?" Sparrowdawn wondered aloud, dread filling his chest. Had she been hurt in the fall?

Or was it worse than that? He shot a worried look towards Bubble, who studied the area carefully. "The trail ends here," The silver she-cat announced, staring at the marks in the dirt beside the pool of water. "It looks like she tried turning around, but both her scent trail and the marks in the earth stop here."

Sparrowdawn whirled around, as if he would find the she-cat lying somewhere. He studied the twoleg den beside them. Had she been taken by a twoleg? Was that why her trail ended so abruptly? Raising his gaze towards the wall of the twoleg den, his amber eyes hesitated on the clear twoleg material between the stone. As if on cue, long white strips on the other side of the twoleg material shifted, and a small tortoiseshell head peered out, staring outside, before her hazel eyes finally settled on Sparrowdawn. He felt his heart would burst, and the she-cat's eyes widened with more emotions than he could track. Her mouth opened in a loud wail that was muffled by the twoleg material that trapped her.

Careless now, Sparrowdawn hopped up onto the ledge, eyes glistening as he studied the she-cat. Her pelt was clean and well-groomed, and she seemed to be having no issues with her legs. _She's alive! She's okay!_ Sparrowdawn could have shouted it to the treetops. "I'm here!" He cried past the lump in his through, through the twoleg material, and Hidinglight pressed herself against it as if to press her pelt to his. "We'll get you out of there, Hidinglight! I promise!"

"Sparrowdawn, watch out!" Bubble yowled just as a slamming sound echoed, a twoleg stepping out of the den. Sparrowdawn shot Hidinglight a despairing look before leaping into the bushes alongside the twoleg den. Peering from between the leaves, he saw the twoleg glance over at the source of the noise, but they clearly hadn't seen them. Sparrowdawn let out a sigh of relief as the twoleg stared outside for a few more moments before going back inside the den.

Hidinglight was no longer on the ledge. They would have to find a way to get her out of there without getting caught, but Sparrowdawn couldn't feel anything but joy and relief. Hidinglight was alive! She was okay and healthy!

_Thank you StarClan! Thank you so much for keeping her safe! _


	20. Chapter 20

_**Alright guys, after this chapter, Hidden Sparrow's Destiny is officially as long as the first warriors novel, Into The Wild, and it's only been a month! *ecstatic cheering*** Now if only I could finish a book that was my own original idea as effortlessly and enthusiastically!_

_To Feathershade: Oh no! Well no worries, the story will still be here when you're able to read it! I believe Hidinglight's warrior ceremony was in the beginning of chapter 14._

_To The MoonClanner: Yes ma'am, that seems to be the way that chapter wrote itself. Look forward to more of the pair in the future, I'm excited to see the prickly tom go all soft for the quirky she-cat. I'll definitely keep those submissions in mind, I might have to tweak them a bit though (I don't think the tree shape would be very realistic, and Secretkit doesn't seem to fit very well as a Clan name. Is there another name you'd feel comfortable with for that character? We could even do Whisperkit, I know you kind of like whisper in their names.) but I really like those characters overall so I will likely integrate them into the sequel._

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Hidinglight leaped from the windowsill as if her paws were on fire, effortlessly skirting the top of the couches to where the silky calico she-cat lay resting. "Pretty Girl!" She hissed, prodding the she-cat with her paws. Pretty Girl let out a low growl, squinting one eye open from her nap. "What is it, Heidi?"

Hidinglight wagged her crooked tail anxiously. "Sparrowdawn's here! He's outside! I need you to help me escape!" That got her attention. Pretty Girl scrambled to her paws, eyes wide. "What? You want to leave again?" Hidinglight nodded furiously. The calico she-cat rolled her eyes, huffing with annoyance. "Your person isn't going to like that very well. Well, whatever, I suppose that it'd be nice to have the place to myself again without you stinking up all my favorite resting spots."

The young warrior shuffled her paws guiltily. "You'll be nice to Momma right? You'll help her feel better when I'm gone?" Her eyes were wide with concern. She didn't want to cause her mother the same pain again, but Hidinglight's loyalty was towards her Clan. She _had_ to go back. Pretty Girl sighed. "Yes, Hidinglight. I'll give that twoleg all of the attention that she never showed me," She mewed wistfully.

Hidinglight ignored the she-cat's statement, looking towards the window. "How can I get out of here?" She demanded, dancing on the tips of her paws. Pretty Girl lounged back down, stretching her long form. "I'd wait until nightfall, when the twolegs go to sleep. They always open the window. Maybe you can find a way past that screen?" Her voice was muffled as she lazily began grooming herself. Hidinglight perked up, eyes brimming with excitement. "Thanks Pretty Girl! I'll try to tell Sparrowdawn that. Can he hear me through the window?"

Pretty Girl shook her head. "I doubt it. You'd have to make quite a racket in order for him to hear what you're saying, and that's bound to get your person's attention." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think the window in the other room is open a crack. Try talking to him over there." Hidinglight was already on her paws, racing towards the window she'd been at before. The window in the other room was at the entrance of the house; it would be risky talking to him there, but she'd have to try.

Coming to the glass, her gaze frantically swept the area outside, heart sinking when she noticed Sparrowdawn was nowhere in sight. Unsure of what else to do, Hidinglight pressed her front paws against the glass and began pawing at it desperately, claws sheathed.

"Why are you making such a racket?" Came a hiss from behind her, but Hidinglight ignored it, and to her relief, Sparrowdawn poked his head out of the underbrush, eyes wide. Hidinglight ran along the side of the window sill, in the direction of the other windows, anxiously wagging her tail. Sparrowdawn followed, a question in his eyes, remaining alert. Bubble sat off to the side, scoping out the area nervously.

Without a flick of her tail, she hopped down from the windowsill, racing toward the window in the entryway. The female twoleg was sitting with her partner in the room where they fed the cats, and she called out in mew of surprise as Hidinglight raced past her. She hopped up on the sill, out of breath, and ducked her head underneath the partially open window; scents of crisp leaf-fall air overwhelmed her senses. "Sparrowdawn! Over here!" Hidinglight hissed, pacing at the window.

A moment later, the tom cautiously creeped to the window, eyes alert and pelt bristling. "Hidinglight!" He purred when he saw her, eyes lighting with awe. Her chest warmed at the sight of her lifelong partner. "Sparrowdawn," She murmured, pressing her head against the mesh that stood between them. He rubbed his pelt against the mesh, and Hidinglight cursed her twoleg prison. How had she ever felt happy without the wind on her pelt and the Silverpelt above her head?

"There's not much time, my twoleg is in the other room. Come back tonight. Pretty Girl is going to help me escape." Sparrowdawn's eyes widened, before darkening with worry. "Pretty Girl?" He mewed, a question left unspoken. Hidinglight nodded. "This twoleg is the twoleg that raised me before I came to ShadowClan." She noticed the tom's breaths quicken at the statement, and his paws trembled. "You don't want to stay, do you?" Sparrowdawn asked searchingly, a pleading look in his eyes. Hidinglight shook her head furiously. "No. My place is in the Clan with you and Bravekit," She mewed, pressing herself against the mesh once more.

The voices of the twolegs echoed behind her. "Now go! Hurry! Come back after nightfall!" She hissed, glancing behind her. Sparrowdawn pushed his forehead against the mesh where she stood, as if to nuzzle her pelt. His scent wafted over her, and Hidinglight felt dizzy; but it was over all too soon, Sparrowdawn leaping off of the window ledge and disappearing into the undergrowth. Hidinglight swallowed past the lump in her throat as her twoleg picked her up a moment later, stroking her pelt with gentle purrs.

They would be together soon. _Tonight, Sparrowdawn. We just have to wait until tonight,_ She told him silently.

* * *

Sparrowdawn paced outside of the twoleg den. Nettlefire had come with him this time, insisting that Bubble stayed back at the temporary camp with Bravekit. The spiky furred tom hadn't explicitly stated why, but Sparrowdawn assumed he was worried about the tiny she-cat getting taken by twolegs.

It seemed like a whole moon passed before a speckled calico face appeared in the window, a pretty she-cat. Nettlefire stiffened, but Sparrowdawn nudged him. "That must be Pretty Girl. She's helping Hidinglight." The spiky furred tom didn't relax his stance, but his ears flicked in understanding.

Pretty Girl's eyes widened at the sight of the toms, and she looked behind her. "Heidi!" She hissed quietly, "They're here!" Hidinglight popped up beside the calico, looking anxiously behind her. Sparrowdawn could barely feel his paws as he leapt up on to the window sill to meet her. "So what's the plan?" Nettlefire mewed, hopping beside him.

Sparrowdawn put his paws up against the mesh, feeling his claws hook into the material as if sticking. He let out a hiss of frustration, pulling back to free himself, and realizing at once that he was stuck. He pulled back with more force, until he was basically dangling from the mesh; he felt the material quiver with each movement, but his claws were caught in their grip.

"Great job, mouse-brain, now two cats are stuck," Nettlefire remarked dryly. Hidinglight's eyes lit up. "No, I think he's got the right idea. It seems like the screen is starting to lean forward towards him. Pretty Girl, will you help me push from this side? And Nettlefire, could you try pulling it from your side like Sparrowdawn is?"

Sparrowdawn struggled more fiercely against the mesh. "I'd hardly call this pulling," He panted, "My claws are stuck!" The cats ignored him however, and the two she-cats threw themselves into the mesh at the same time. Sparrowdawn let out a yelp as he was thrown off balance, tumbling to the earth. The airy material now seemed to be pushed out, as if it were coming loose on the edges.

"Again!" Hidinglight instructed, launching herself once more at the screen. Pretty Girl remained by her side, pushing with her head first, while Nettlefire pulled against the screen in the same way Sparrowdawn had, though more successfully. The black material seemed to be coming loose, especially along the lower edge. Hidinglight poked her nose through the newly made hole. "We have to keep trying, its not big enough," She remarked.

Just then, the sound of a click echoed from inside the twoleg den. Hidinglight's eyes widened and her pelt stood on end as a sharp twoleg voice echoed from behind them. "Hurry, Pretty Girl!" Hidinglight yowled, and Pretty Girl nodded, determination lighting her gaze. They threw themselves at the mesh one more time, aiming for the small hole that was coming loose from the edge. With a sharp rip, Sparrowdawn watched as Hidinglight tumbled from the den, as if falling in slow motion. She hit the ground with a thud, and he raced over to her to check if she was alright.

"There's no time for that! We have to leave!" Nettlefire yowled, leaping down from the ledge, his fur bristling. The twoleg voices had sharpened to cries and Pretty Girl, who was standing in the window still, was quickly scooped up by a male twoleg. Hidinglight leapt to her paws, pelt bristling. "Pretty Girl!" She cried, heartbreak heavy in her voice. Sparrowdawn nudged her as he heard the entrance to the den opening. "We have to go, Hidinglight! Now!" He hissed, and without allowing her another moment to protest, he hauled her by the scruff until she took off by his side in a brisk run. The twoleg dens blurred around them, the yowls of the twolegs disappearing into the distance. When they reached the edge of the pine forest, Sparrowdawn stopped, chest heaving with effort. Nettlefire was right beside them, fur bristling, and eyes wide with alarm.

Hidinglight stared into the vast twolegplace, an emotion he couldn't decipher heavy in her eyes. Sparrowdawn brushed against her pelt, licking behind her ears as if he could bring her back to the present. "Come on, Hidinglight. Bravekit has missed you a lot."

The tortoiseshell she-cat tore her gaze away from the twolegplace, her dark pelt barely visible in the shadows. Wordlessly, the group padded into the forest, Nettlefire at the lead, and Sparrowdawn leaning heavily against Hidinglight's side, though who was supporting who, he didn't know.

When the thick roots of the oak where they'd made their temporary camp came into view, Sparrowdawn finally felt his fur begin to lie flat. He wanted to run to wake up Bravekit, but Hidinglight held him back with a wave of her tail. "Thank you, Nettlefire. I don't think I would have been able to get out of there without your help. Sparrowdawn, back at the twoleg den, I thought I saw Bubble...?" Wordlessly, he nodded. "Nettlefire and Bubble were the only ones who came back from the mountain patrol. The rest of them caught Cold Paw."

The she-cat raised her gaze towards silverpelt, silence weighing heavily within the group. "Nettlefire, can you get Bubble? There's something I need to tell all of you before I see Bravekit." The spiky furred tom nodded, silently slipping into the makeshift den and reappearing a moment later with the tiny silver she-cat. Her eyes lit up with excitement and a purr rumbled in her throat. "Hidinglight, I knew you would be alright," Bubble mewed.

Hidinglight dipped her head in response, before fixing Sparrowdawn with a sorrowful gaze. "When we left the Clan, I felt a coldness staying in the tips of my hind paws. After the - the earth collapsed, the Cold Paw spread pretty quickly. I was barely out of the crevice by the time it claimed my hind legs." He stared at her, jaw agape in disbelief. "That's impossible!" He mewed, glancing towards her perfectly fine hind legs, as if he expected them to be limp again. Bubble was merely nodding thoughtfully. "We did find that trail in the dirt, Sparrowdawn," She reminded him.

"When the twolegs took me in, they took me to the vet - their medicine cat - and my twoleg gave me these small, bitter herbs for nearly a quarter moon. I began to recover the use of my legs, and while staying with the two legs, I learned that they have to do something to make the water safe, because an illness - Cold Paw - has been spreading through the water in this area. Cold Paw isn't contagious, like RiverClan originally thought; so many cats are getting sick because the illness is in the very water we drink."

Silence filled the air, as thick as the night. Sparrowdawn's mind whirred; Hidinglight's claim seemed far-fetched, but could it be true? It was RiverClan that was hit first and hardest; WindClan that had seemed to remain above the illness. "Can't you see?" Hidinglight insisted with fervor, expression solemn, "We have to warn the Clans! We can still save them!"

It was Nettlefire who spoke first. "If it's the water we drink, how come every cat hasn't gotten sick? And what could we do that would save our Clans at this point? We can't just not drink water." His tail lashed with irritation, pelt bristling, eyes narrowed. Bubble pressed against him briefly, shooting him a meaningful look, and Sparrowdawn watched in amazement as the tom's fur began to lie flat.

"I think those that are still alive have just gotten lucky," Hidinglight admitted, "All I know is that StarClan sent us here for a reason. We have to do something to save the Clans!" Sparrowdawn glanced around the group doubtfully. Had StarClan truly sent them to where they are now? They had seemed so absent in the recent moons. He had assumed that simply leaving had been his idea, and the fact that Nettlefire and Bubble ran into them was easily attributed to pure luck. Did their ancestors still guide them even when they had turned their back on the Clans?

The tiny silver she-cat stepped forward, eyes alive with determination. "I support you, Hidinglight. I think that, as warriors, it is your duty to do everything to protect your Clan." Nettlefire grunted in agreement. "I won't turn my back on ShadowClan, no matter how bad this illness is." The tortoiseshell swiveled her hazel eyes towards Sparrowdawn, taking the breath out of his chest. "And you, Sparrowdawn? Will you come with us to save the Clans?"

He stared at the she-cat, and for the briefest of moments those flecks on her pelt weren't lighter colors, but the outline of two star studded cats on either side of her. A moment later, the image faded, leaving only Hidinglight's hopeful hazel eyes staring right into his soul, her pelt lit from the moon in such a way that mimicked the light that dappled between the trees.

"Hidinglight," He breathed, pushing towards the she-cat and entwining his pelt with hers. "I'll always be by your side. Don't you know that by now?" Hidinglight's eyes glistened and she nuzzled him affectionately. Bubble purred with amusement, padding towards the makeshift den. "Now that that's settled, Hidinglight, someone has been waiting quite awhile to see you again."

Hidinglight's eyes widened as a loud squeak echoed from the den, and a fluffy bundle of cream and white fur stumbled out, staring at her with eyes that were no longer kit-blue, but had turned to the bright green of Littlemoon. "Momma!" Bravekit squealed, stumbling over to the she-cat and tackling her. "Am I bigger? Am I a warrior now?" The tiny kit demanded, and Hidinglight's choked purr echoed throughout the trees. "You're bigger every day, Bravekit." She pressed her nose into the kits pelt. "I'm so glad you two are okay." The tortoiseshell stared at the two toms with pain and love echoing in her eyes, and Sparrowdawn remembered with a lump in his throat that she had lost her kits.

He padded closer to the she-cat, nuzzling her head. "Alright, Bravekit, you can tell Hidinglight about all of our fun adventures tomorrow, okay? She's tired and needs to rest." The tiny kit nodded obediently, but his tail quivered with excitement, and he bounded back towards the den where Bubble and now Nettlefire had disappeared.

They were alone. Sparrowdawn turned towards the she-cat, his amber eyes sorrowful. "Hidinglight, why didn't you tell me about the kits?" He whispered, and Hidinglight stiffened, before her tail drooped and her frame slumped. "I thought I was going to die of Cold Paw," She murmured, raising her eyes towards him. "I wasn't sure I'd even make it long enough for the kits to be born. And then when I went hunting, I saw these lights, and the voices of StarClan cats told me again that 'You need to help him'... Sparrowdawn, you would have died if I hadn't been here when the earth shook. I was hurt in the fall and my body couldn't hold the kits anymore." She lowered her head shamefully, and Sparrowdawn gently touched her back with his tail. "It's not your fault," He murmured. "I just wish you hadn't had to go through all of that alone."

Hidinglight raised her hazel eyes towards him, brimming with something he couldn't understand. "Sparrowdawn, I wasn't alone. Fawnspring came to me afterwards, and I saw our kits-" Her voice shook. "A beautiful ginger tabby and a black and white kit. I named them Dawnkit and Littlekit." Sparrowdawn blinked in surprise, warmth blossoming through his chest.

Bubble had been right. Hidinglight had been protected all along. He gently began grooming the she-cat's ruffled fur, feeling her relax underneath his tongue. "Speckledkit will have some good company in StarClan," Sparrowdawn mewed thoughtfully, "And one day, we'll have kits of our own, siblings for Bravekit, during a time when life is well and blooming again." The she-cat's eyes shone longingly at his words. "Do you think so?"

Sparrowdawn nodded, closing his eyes and entwining his tail with her crooked one. "I know so, as sure as I am of StarClan, and as sure as I am that I will live the rest of my life by your side."


	21. Chapter 21

_*wipes sweat off brow* Alright so I honestly thought I'd be closer to wrapping up the story by now, but by the way this story is progressing, its clear we've got a few more chapters yet until I can wrap it up and begin the sequel. _

_That being said, I will need cats from ThunderClan and WindClan more than ever, especially for the sequel, so please do submit some OC's if you have any in mind! (I promise I won't kill them all off this time T-T )_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

The group padded silently back over ShadowClan's border. Hidinglight realized with a flash of hope that the scent markers were still fresh. She had been silently worried about coming back to an empty camp, like the one from her dream many moons ago. Or worse, coming back to find the last of ShadowClan dying, just as they had in RiverClan. But if cats were still patrolling the borders, there must still be some cats to save.

Bravekit padded by her side. She hadn't said it, but in the moon they'd been gone, he'd grown to nearly three times his size. He no longer complained about his legs being tired from the long travels, and it seemed that nothing had dampened his bright spirit. When Hidinglight had gently informed the kit that they needed to go back, he had accepted it without a complaint, asking if their mission from StarClan was over. The tortoiseshell warrior had informed him that it had only just begun, and Bravekit seemed to hold a seriousness unlike many kits of his age, sensing the importance of their travels.

Sparrowdawn pressed against her pelt, sharing a knowing look, and Hidinglight forced her fur to lie flat. Despite the assurances from the fresh scent markers, she still felt cold to the tip of her tail with worry over what they would find.

Bubble stopped, tail flicking curiously, jaws opening to taste the air. "I smell ShadowClan," She mewed certainly, and Hidinglight cautiously sniffed the air. The tiny she-cat was right. She shot Bubble an admiring look; Nettlefire had been training her in an unofficial apprenticeship, and she showed great promise and determination in her skills.

Sparrowdawn's eyes narrowed. "Just one cat," He announced, and as if on cue, a blurred grey shape threw itself at the tom, fur bushed out and claws unsheathed. Hidinglight jumped back, startled. "Rainpaw!" She mewed in surprise. Instantly recognizing the cats, the dark grey tabby she-cat hopped off of Sparrowdawn, though her pelt continued to stand on end and her eyes glimmered with fury. "You abandoned us!" She hissed towards the cats, gaze flicking from Hidinglight to Sparrowdawn. She seemed not to notice Bubble and Nettlefire.

Bravekit stepped forward, seeming unconcerned by the she-cat's fury. "We were on a mission from StarClan!" He squeaked, and Hidinglight cringed. In a way, it turned out that they had been, but leaving with no intention of returning had been Sparrowdawn's idea, and that was what he had told the Bravekit in order to get him to come with.

Rainpaw glanced at the cats surrounding her, eyes narrowed doubtfully. "Well, whatever. I'm sure Webstar will love to hear the real reason you _all_," She emphasized the last word, flicking her gaze towards Nettlefire, "abandoned your Clan in the times of greatest need. And, Hidinglight, my name's not Rainpaw anymore. It's Rainpoppy."

Hidinglight blinked towards the dark grey she-cat, a purr rumbling in her throat. "Congratulations! I'm sorry I couldn't be here for your ceremony." Rainpoppy stared at the tortoiseshell intensely, gaze unreadable. "I'm sorry too," She mewed curtly, whirling around and dashing towards the direction of the Clan. The group shared glances before rushing to catch up to the she-cat, and Hidinglight went as fast as she could while still staying beside Bravekit.

When they entered the camp, Hidinglight noticed with sinking dread that it was nearly silent. The scent of cats was much more faint than it had been when they had left, indicating the small number of cats remaining in the Clan. She watched as a small dark grey tom with white tipped ears bounded over to Rainpoppy, eyes alight with excitement at the sight of the she-cat. "Rainpoppy! How was border patrol?" He mewed, tail twitching with excitement, and Rainpoppy puffed out her chest, standing a little taller at the younger toms attention. "Nothing amiss, Wildpaw. I found these traitors," She shot her gaze towards the group, eyes narrowed, "Inside our border. How's Webstar?"

Hidinglight's jaw dropped. Rainpoppy had done the border patrol by herself? The situation was worse than she had imagined. At the mention of their leader, Wildpaw's gaze strayed to his paws, shuffling them uneasily, tail drooping. "Butterflypaw says he's losing another life," The formerly excited tom mewed with barely a whisper. Beside Bubble, Nettlefire's gaze darkened, and he burst forward towards the leader's den, ignoring protests from Rainpoppy. Bubble and Sparrowdawn were right behind him.

"Wildpaw!" Hidinglight called towards the dark grey tom, and he looked towards her curiously, eyes lighting up with excitement. "Hidinglight! It's so good to see you again!" He bounded over to the she-cat, nuzzling her briefly. Hidinglight purred. "It's good to see you too, Wildpaw. An apprentice now! Can you stay with Bravekit for a moment while we go visit Webstar?" The apprentice nodded, nosing Bravekit affectionately. The cream and white kit purred, green eyes alight as if nothing had changed since they'd left the Clan.

Seeing that Bravekit was in good paws with his friend, Hidinglight followed the rest of her group (Rainpoppy complaining under her breath behind her) and entered the leader's den. Butterflypaw stood alone beside Webstar, gaze darkened with worry as he struggled for each breath. "Butterflypaw, where's Halfmoon?" Sparrowdawn demanded, and the grey-blue she-kit looked up in surprise, as if she hadn't noticed them enter. Her eyes echoed sadness and wisdom beyond her years, and Hidinglight felt her chest tighten for the small she-cat. "She's got Cold Paw. She's in the medicine den."

Nettlefire pushed forward, gently nosing his adopted father, but the black striped tom barely responded. "How many lives is this now, Butterflypaw?" The spiky furred tom demanded after a moment. Butterflypaw dipped her head, her breathing shaky with fear. "He'll only have two left after this," She whispered. Bubble pressed her pelt to Nettlefire's reassuringly, her copper eyes sympathetic.

Just two lives left? Hidinglight stumbled backwards in shock. She'd known their leader had lost quite a few to Cold Paw already, but how could he have lost so many in just a moon? Webstar's breathing became ragged and shallow, shuddering and struggling with each breath. A choking sound echoed from his throat and Hidinglight looked away, pressing her nose into Sparrowdawn's pelt, unable to watch as her beloved mentor took his last breath and fell still.

Beside them, Rainpoppy was bristling, her emotions emanating off of her in waves. "You never should have left!" She yowled, whirling on the returning cats. "We lost almost everyone! Smokekit, Heathershade, Quicktuft, Eagletail..." Her voice choked on the last name, and Hidinglight recalled with horror that Quicktuft was Rainpoppy's mentor, and Eagletail was Rainpoppy's father. On top of that, she had not heard yet about Runningleaf's fate.

Sparrowdawn was tense by Hidinglight's side. "And Emberfall?" He asked hesitantly, voice breaking. Rainpoppy shook her head. "Emberfall is here. He's training Wildpaw. He's been having to do almost all of the hunting himself. We've been starving." Her voice shook.

"Has there been any word from ThunderClan or WindClan?" Hidinglight asked, the fur on her spine bristling. ShadowClan had grown so small. They were almost too late. Was the same true for the other Clans?

"No. No Clan has been going to the gatherings - Webstar or Emberfall have checked. But ThunderClan still renews their scent markers."

Hidinglight swiveled her gaze to her mentor's still body. Silence weighed heavily in the den, before Webstar's breathing picked up again, slow and steady. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Butterflypaw dragged a soaking piece of moss, bringing it towards their leader's face, and Hidinglight stiffened.

"No!" She yowled, leaping forward and shoving the moss out of the way. Butterflypaw leaped back in surprise and Webstar's eyes blinked open, confusion heavy in his gaze. "Where did you get that water?" Hidinglight demanded to the wide eyed apprentice. "T-The lake, where else?" Butterflypaw mewed. The warrior shook her head. "We can't drink out of the lake, or any water around here anymore. That's where Cold Paw has been coming from in the first place! That's why RiverClan was taken by the illness first!" Hidinglight's pelt bristled, standing over her leader protectively.

Rainpoppy's eyes widened. "What? How do you know that?" She demanded. Hidinglight raised her hazel eyes to meet the young warrior's. "I had Cold Paw when we left," She announced. "Just the beginning of it. By the time I lost control of my hind legs, I was captured by a twoleg. While staying there, they gave me these bitter herbs and I regained control of my legs. The kittypet there told me that the water in the area holds an illness that makes cats and many animals very sick, unless if something is done to make the water healthy."

Webstar stirred from beneath her, and Hidinglight jumped out of the way, dipping her head respectfully to her old mentor. The striped tom scrambled to his paws. She was amazed at how agile he seemed, when just a moment before he hadn't the strength to even breathe. "If what you say is true, the other Clans need to be warned immediately. If we have a chance to defeat this illness, then we must take it."

Butterflypaw's small voice hovered above the den. "Does this mean that if the sick cats stop drinking the lake water, Halfmoon will recover?" Hidinglight looked into the small apprentice's wide, hopeful eyes, and a pang echoed in her chest. The she-cat didn't want to be ShadowClan's only medicine cat; she was scarcely old enough to be apprenticed, and couldn't have been training with Halfmoon for more than a moon.

"I don't know," Hidinglight answered honestly, "But we have to try."

Nettlefire stepped forward, expression pensive. "How will we get water that won't kill us? Other than the bit of rain we get, our only water source is the lake and the streams surrounding it." Butterflypaw's ears perked up, and she looked towards Hidinglight hopefully. "Do you think the water at the moonpool is healthy? Surely StarClan's water wouldn't be tainted with this illness?"

Sparrowdawn lashed his tail from beside Rainpoppy. "There's no way we could travel to the moonpool nearly as often as we would have to in order to get water for the Clan. On top of this, we shouldn't take any risks until we know for sure," He mused. He fixed his amber gaze on Webstar. "StarClan has been with us this entire time," Sparrowdawn mewed, shooting a meaningful glance towards Hidinglight. "We've had a long journey and there will be time to share more about it later, but I have faith that StarClan will guide us from this darkness." The striped leader nodded thoughtfully. "The cool night will light the sky with stars before the sun rises. Perhaps it is time for the sun to rise."

After a few more words, the group disbanded, with Nettlefire and Bubble being ordered to travel to spread the message to WindClan and ThunderClan. Before the pair left, Bubble turned towards Rainpoppy, a sorrowful expression heavy in her copper eyes. "Rainpoppy, about Runningleaf-"

The dark grey tabby waved her tail to silence the small she-cat. "I don't want to know, Bubble. I really don't." Her voice shook with pain, and Hidinglight couldn't imagine what the she-cat was feeling. Rainpoppy had lost everything except for her Clan.

Hidinglight tore her gaze away, scanning the clearing until she spotted her cream and white kit, playing with a dark grey she-kit with a white tipped tail. She purred, padding over to the kit. "Fidgetkit! I'm glad to see that you're healthy," She mewed.

The grey she-kit turned towards Hidinglight, her chest puffing out with pride. "My name is Riverkit now, because I'm the sole survivor of RiverClan. Webstar said that nothing has more life and movement than that of a river." Her eyes beamed. "Rainpoppy said she was going to try and teach me to swim when I'm an apprentice, so that I can pass on RiverClan's traditions."

Bravekit bumbled over to the she-kit excitedly. "Me too! I want to learn to swim too!" Hidinglight purred at the pair's friendship. It truly was as if they hadn't ever left. Her gaze traveled towards the medicine den, where Butterflypaw and Nettlefire were disappearing to, and her heart sank, reminding her of the cold truth.

* * *

"Let all cats of ShadowClan gather here beneath the great rock for a meeting!"

Hidinglight blinked from the clouds of her sleep, lifting a weary head where she lay beside Sparrowdawn, Bravekit, and Riverkit. The dark grey she-kit jumped up immediately, as if she'd been accustomed to the changed announcement, and the cream and white kit was short on her heels, following her around like an admiring puppy.

Hidinglight rose to her paws, untangling herself from Sparrowdawn and stretching her legs before padding out into the clearing. A light rain had begun to drizzle into the camp, and to Hidinglight's surprise, dried moss lay in many areas, presumably to catch the rainwater. _That's a good idea_, She mused.

The clearing was lit up by the first shades of dawn, and the group that gathered beneath Webstar was incredibly meek, featuring only Emberfall, Rainpoppy, Nettlefire, Sparrowdawn, and herself for warriors; Butterflypaw sitting at the base of the rock (Halfmoon was still in the medicine den); Wildpaw sitting beside the youngest warrior, staring admiringly; Bubble sitting beside the spiky furred warrior, pelt pressed to his; and of course the remaining kits of the Clan, Bravekit and Riverkit. The two youngest members puffed their chests out proudly, as if excited to be included in a meeting they normally were left out of.

Webstar stared down at his Clan, clearly noticing how small the group had grown as well. A deep sadness echoed in his gaze before he turned his head towards Butterflypaw.

"Yesterday, Hidinglight and Sparrowdawn informed us of their discoveries outside of the Clan; that this illness is living in the very water we drink. We have lost many cats, and as the prophecy sent by StarClan has said, the cold night has indeed lit the sky with stars. But Sparrowdawn assured me yesterday that StarClan has not abandoned us, and they will show us the way. Sure enough, last night, Butterflypaw recieved a dream from StarClan. Butterflypaw, would you like to tell them about it?"

The grey and white apprentice stepped forward, looking a little nervous, though her eyes were filled with determination. "Last night, I dreamed that I was standing beside the lake during leaf-bare. I could see many stars reflected on the lake, and after a long moment, four bubbles rose from beneath the surface and floated into the air, merging into one. The air around me got colder, and blew with snow, but this bubble drifted away from the lake, in the direction of the low moon, and I followed it. The further I followed the bubble, the brighter and warmer the landscape seemed to get, until it was brighter even than sun-high in greenleaf."

Hidinglight stared in shock as the tiny apprentice described her dream. With a start, she recalled that StarClan hadn't visited her since she'd lost her kits. Perhaps, now that ShadowClan had a leader and medicine cat that followed the will of StarClan, their starry ancestors were ready to guide them. Hidinglight felt a pang of regret at the thought that she might not see her ancestors again, but the thought that Butterflypaw was being guided by StarClan filled her with fierce hope.

"I have discussed this with Halfmoon and Butterflypaw, and we have decided to take the meaning of the dream literally. Bubble, you have shown yourself to be guided by something beyond us; whether that be your ancestors, StarClan, or something else. It is my belief that you are the one to guide us away from the lake and Cold Paw, into a new area where we will be safe from this illness." Nettlefire's eyes widened with shock, and he glanced over towards the tiny she-cat in alarm, but she merely raised her head in determination, as if she had somehow known this ahead of time.

Webstar dipped his head to her before continuing. "I also believe that it is our duty to combine our Clan with what is left of RiverClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan, much as we had during the great journey. When Nettlefire and Bubble visited the two remaining Clans, they were in a similar state as us; Cold Paw had ravaged their camp and taken many lives. Both Clans are left without an official leader, as both the deputies and leaders died before a new one could be appointed. I believe that if we tell what's left of ThunderClan and WindClan about Butterflypaw's vision, they will not hesitate to join us. I think her vision is telling us that four Clans must become one, once and for all, in order to survive."

Nettlefire was the first one to speak up. Fur bristling and tail lashing, he bared his teeth. "That's ridiculous! We can't form a Clan with those rabbit-eaters and fox-hearts!" Webstar swiveled his gaze towards the tom, eyes burning with an anger Hidinglight had never seen in her mentor. "What do you suggest? Trying to build a Clan from our meager remnants? If there ever was a time to band together, that time is now, when all Clans are on the brink of extinction. Now is not the time to worry about borders and who belongs to which Clan. StarClan is one Clan; after our devastating loss, we all need to be as well," Webstar hissed, and Nettlefire glared at his adoptive father for a long moment before dipping his head in resignation.

"My loyalty is to StarClan and the warrior code," Nettlefire mewed, flicking his ears. "The warrior code insisted the Clans remain separate but coexisting, but I'm willing to acknowledge that those who made the warrior code might never have imagined an illness so bad that it wiped out almost all of the Clans. I stand by your decision, Webstar."

Webstar nodded, the fury vanishing from his gaze, and he looked out towards his Clanmates. "Very well then. Myself, Rainpoppy and Hidinglight, will go to ThunderClan to convince and gather the remaining cats. Emberfall, Sparrowdawn, and Wildpaw will go to WindClan. That leaves Nettlefire, Bubble, Butterflypaw, and of course Bravekit and Riverkit to defend the Clan. Does everyone agree?" Hidinglight stifled a _mrrrooow_ of laughter at the statement; those two kits wouldn't be very formidable opponents, but they also didn't likely have any enemies strong enough to bother attacking the ShadowClan camp, no matter how weakened the proud Clan had become.

Hidinglight gazed out at her Clanmates, a mixture of sorrow and pride filling her heart. Their Clan had grown to be so small during this illness. She only hoped that, with the guidance of StarClan, they would find the future they were hoping for.

* * *

"What exactly are you saying?"

Hidinglight forced her pelt to remain flat as she stood beside Webstar and Rainpoppy in the ThunderClan camp. Their camp was just as meager as ShadowClan's, and it seemed that their medicine cat had joined StarClan as well. There didn't seem to be an official leader, and it was clear with the wide eyes and thin frames that they were struggling to keep the Clan together without the most vital parts of a Clan.

"StarClan sent our medicine cat apprentice a vision. It suggested that we need to leave the lake as one Clan if we want to survive Cold Paw," Webstar mewed, raising his head high. The cats gathered around appeared frightened and uncertain. "Leave the lake?" One cried, "But StarClan guided us here in the first place so that we would be safe."

"Clearly that's not the case anymore," Rainpoppy snapped, tail lashing. Hidinglight was taken aback by the she-cat's harshness. Losing her family had obviously had a profound impact on her bright and energetic personality.

Webstar shot the she-cat a warning look, before returning his gaze to the cats in front of him. "We all have lost kin and Clanmates these last few moons, when it seemed even StarClan wouldn't guide us. It is our duty as warriors to remain faithful and attentive to the signs they send us. I don't believe there is any other way for us to continue in the way we have been, with so many lost Clanmates, without a major change."

The ThunderClan cats murmured amongst themselves, before a single cat stepped forward; a white she-cat with one blue eye and one brown eye. "We'll go," She mewed. Webstar dipped his head. "You are all welcome to come to the ShadowClan camp so that we can regroup."

A reddish brown tabby ThunderClan tom snorted, and Hidinglight figured that he didn't look much older than an apprentice. "Why is ShadowClan in charge?" He demanded, bristling. The white she-cat pawed him over the head with a glare. "Robinstar's dead, Redpaw. We don't have a deputy or a medicine cat. We're hardly in a position to argue about what StarClan wants us to do." The white she-cat dipped her head towards Webstar respectfully. "Webstar, you have been a noble and loyal warrior for all of your life. ThunderClan will come with you on this journey. Only the future will tell what is to come after that."

* * *

_To Brownfurfics and Wyldclaw: Welcome! I'm always glad to see new people in the reviews! I hope you enjoy the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it!_

_To The MoonClanner: That's really cool, is the cat with the sort of tree shape on his back a black and white cat? I know I've seen cats with heart shaped splotches and whatnot that were black and white or calico, so I'd be willing to have that kit be a cat with a shape that looks somewhat like a tree if that's the case. Let's brainstorm some more ideas for Secretkit's name. There are some really cool names alongside the canon that would fit your cat/OC that could be important to you. What do you think of these: Whisperkit, Mistkit, Dawnkit, Quietkit, or Echokit? I think those names are all pretty cool, but I want that character to have a name you like as well since they're Bubble's kits. I also think it would be good for one of her kits to be named Shadowkit, in remembrance of ShadowClan. (Her kits will probably be one of the first born in the sequel) Which kit would you prefer take that name? Shadedkit's name seems most similar to the name Shadowkit, but I'll leave the decision up to you. _

_Congrats on the kittens! Both my cats are fixed so if I ever have a cat with kittens it will probably just be a fostered pregnant cat. They're so adorable when they're little balls of floof. _


	22. Chapter 22

_Wow, okay, so this wrapped up quicker than I was expecting. This chapter is short; this is the last official chapter! I decided to skip the whole journey bit; we've all been there, read that, and I don't feel like adding another three or four chapters of the same stuff we've read in the canon. After this, I will post an authors note reflecting on this story. I know I've posted like - four chapters in the span of a couple days, (Chapter 21 hadn't even been on the page for more than a couple hours before I began writing this one) but these are my days off and I don't really do much else for fun lol._

_Thank you everyone so much for reading, and please keep an eye out for the prequel, Jaystar's Debt, and the sequel, Path Of The Sun!_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

The camp was abuzz with life in a way it hadn't been for awhile. The remaining WindClan cats seemed on edge underneath the trees, but the ThunderClan cats had softened their hostility and seemed to be treating the ShadowClan cats more warmly. A heated debate was going on beside the leader's den featuring Sagefrost, a white ThunderClan cat with one blue eye and one brown; Maplerunner, a light tabby tom from WindClan; Butterflypaw, Hidinglight, and Webstar. Sparrowdawn assumed that they were discussing when to leave. Webstar insisted that they needed to leave immediately, but many of the cats from the other Clans were hesitant; they didn't trust Bubble, and they didn't want to leave behind their Clanmates that had already joined StarClan or were on their way there. Even Butterflypaw, who had had the dream, was hesitant to leave behind her weakening mentor.

Sparrowdawn's gaze swept the cats in the clearing. His pelt bristled uneasily with the scents of so many different Clans that had once been his enemies. Now, they were supposed to become one. Fidgetkit - No, Sparrowdawn reminded himself, Riverkit - was weaving easily throughout the cats, eagerly greeting everyone that she hadn't met yet. Being the only surviving RiverClan cat, the tiny kit was already quite popular. Bravekit followed behind the she-kit, eyes wide with admiration for his outgoing friend. Sparrowdawn's father, Emberfall, also swept amongst the visiting cats, expression pensive as he tried to mediate the bickering and discomfort within the mixed group.

The air felt thick around him and Sparrowdawn backed out of the clearing, instinctively making way for the medicine den to get away from the chaos in the Clan.

The air was cool and smelled of herbs, causing nostalgia of Sparrowdawn's kithood to come rushing back to him. But instead of finding the motherly white she-cat sorting herbs or assisting an ill Clanmate, Halfmoon was curled up in her nest, her fur unkempt and unwashed, and her breathing labored. Sparrowdawn padded over to the she-cat, settling beside her, and her bright green eyes flicked open, flooding with recognition at the sight of the tom.

"Sparrowdawn," Halfmoon purred unevenly. "How are things going out there?" Sparrowdawn shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "All cats seem to be on edge. They can't seem to agree when we should leave," He mewed gruffly. Halfmoon nodded, gazing out towards the den entrance. "It's a hard decision, leaving behind your home and the place where you lost your Clanmates." Her voice was tinged with sorrow, and Sparrowdawn felt a wave of sympathy rush through his chest. Despite her mistakes, Halfmoon had lost just as much as anyone else these last moons.

The she-cat shook herself, bright green eyes burning with warmth. "But there is hope. StarClan is guiding us again, and with luck, I will be one of the last cats to die from this dreaded illness." Sparrowdawn opened his jaws - to say what, he didn't know - but Halfmoon interrupted him. "I think that it would be best that the Clans leave as soon as possible. Leaf-bare is nearly here, and the journey will only get more difficult the longer you wait."

Sparrowdawn bristled at what she was suggesting. "We can't just leave you here! Who will train Butterflypaw?" Halfmoon fixed him with a sorrowful gaze, but one that was filled with determination. "StarClan will guide her paws. Bubble trained under me for several moons, and Butterflypaw is a bright young apprentice. She'll be able to learn most of the herbs quickly."

Sparrowdawn was doubtful. "But who will teach her about StarClan?" At that, Halfmoon's frame shook with laughter, her whiskers twitching. "Tell me, Sparrowdawn," She gasped, "Do you really think that I would be the cat to teach Butterflypaw about connecting with StarClan?" He fixed his gaze to his paws, ears burning. She had a point, but if not her, then who? Bubble didn't seem to be guided by StarClan; some other ancestors, maybe, but not StarClan.

"I'll let Webstar know your thoughts on leaving, but I don't think that the rest of the Clans will be so quick to agree, and it's not my decision to make," Sparrowdawn mewed. Halfmoon nodded, green eyes clouding with something that he couldn't understand. As he turned to pad away, she called back to him in a small voice. "Sparrowdawn, I'm not afraid to die. I can only hope I will be going to StarClan, after all that I've done; but if I could be with my daughter and my mate, that is all I could hope for."

Sparrowdawn's pelt pricked uneasily and his mouth felt dry, but he merely dipped his head respectfully and padded out of the den.

* * *

They stood at the ridge where the four Clans had first stood when they came to the lake after the Great Journey. The cool wind of leaf-bare chilled the scenery, and the first small flakes began to fall from the sky, making it seem as though all of silverpelt was coming down to join them. Hidinglight stared at the stars reflected on the lake home she had known ever since she'd joined the Clans, feeling a pang of regret that this would be the last time she would ever lay her eyes upon the sight.

It had just been a quarter moon since she'd returned to ShadowClan with Sparrowdawn. There had been protests against leaving so soon, but to all the Clan's dismay, Halfmoon had passed quickly, as did many of the remaining cats that had Cold Paw, a dark reminder that this place was no longer their home.

Hidinglight gazed out among the cats, noticing that they remained separated into their respective Clans, but the size of the group overall wasn't any larger than that of a single Clan. Bickering had already broken out among the cats, and many were unsettled at being so close to cats from another Clan. _I doubt that will last long, though,_ She mused to herself. _Like the Great Journey, this journey will bring us together._

Bubble stood at the head of the group of cats, gazing out towards the full moon that hung low in the sky. The tiny she-cat seemed to glow with certainty of her fate, all the steps she had taken that had brought her to the Clans. For half a breath, Hidinglight swore she could see another, misty form of a much bigger cat, entwined around the tiny she-cat and leaning close to her ears. Uneasiness settled alongside the tortoiseshell's spine, but she pushed it aside. _StarClan sent Butterflypaw that dream. Following Bubble is what we must do in order to survive,_ Hidinglight reminded herself.

Reminded of the young apprentice, Hidinglight flicked her hazel eyes over to where Butterflypaw stood beside her brother, Wildpaw. She could only imagine how the young she-cat felt; she was so young, but she was the closest thing all four Clans had to a medicine cat. She certainly had her work cut out for her.

_How is she going to properly learn the ways of a medicine cat without a mentor?_ Worry cluttered the tortoiseshell she-cat's mind. Hidinglight recalled that Bubble had spent some time with Halfmoon, training as her unofficial apprentice. She knew that the tiny silver cat would be able to help the apprentice with the herbs aspect of her apprenticeship. But what about StarClan?

At once, a chilling breeze ruffled her short fur, and Hidinglight shivered, feeling her body tense up as she caught the whisper of words on the wind. _"Remember, you are to be the light that guides the way to the stars for one more important cat."_ Hidinglight's eyes widened, and her breath quickened as she looked around for the source of the voice. Other than some cold looking WindClan cats, and Sparrowdawn padding over to her, there was nothing.

She recalled the message from her time at the moonpool. Who had been the first cat? All Hidinglight had done was pass what she had learned while staying with the twolegs. Though, perhaps guiding the first cat to the stars referred to how she'd saved Sparrowdawn. If she hadn't saved Sparrowdawn, he never would have been able to find Bubble and Nettlefire, and this journey might never have happened. But what about the last cat? Was she meant to teach Butterflypaw how to connect with StarClan? Doubt sunk its way to her paws. Sure, she'd had a connection with StarClan for awhile now, but she wasn't sure she had anything to teach. It seemed that the star studded cats came to her when they felt it was right.

"Are you okay?" Sparrowdawn meowed as he padded over to her. Hidinglight shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "I'm worried about Butterflypaw," She confessed. "Something tells me that I'm supposed to be the one to teach her about StarClan, but I don't feel like I have anything to teach."

Her mate appeared thoughtful, gazing at the young apprentice. Butterflypaw flicked her white tipped ears, as if she could sense them watching her. "Hidinglight, you've had a stronger connection with StarClan than the medicine cat that was watching over our Clan for moons." Sparrowdawn swiveled his amber gaze to meet hers, betraying nothing but complete trust and faith. "If anyone is able to teach the new medicine cat apprentice about StarClan, its you."

Hidinglight shuffled her paws, feeling small and helpless. "But how?" She whispered. "I don't know the first thing about teaching an apprentice." Sparrowdawn lightly touched her with his tail. "Maybe just begin by telling her about your experiences with StarClan? Maybe tell her the names of the cats she might see, tell her about the cats she should know..." He trailed off, clearly noticing that his words were making her even more discouraged. "I don't know many of them though," She protested, "Just Fawnspring and your littermates, and Ravensky..."

"And all of our Clanmates that joined StarClan in the past moons," Sparrowdawn finished, whiskers twitching. "It shouldn't be that hard." Hidinglight sighed. "Well, the least I could do is try," She mewed, and her mate nudged her gently. "That's the way. Don't be a scaredy-mouse," He teased. Hidinglight rolled her eyes, but was unable to stifle a purr.

A commotion at the front of the group caught her attention. Bubble was beside Webstar, having a quick word with him, before she faced the rest of the Clans. "It's time," She mewed certainly. Uneasy glances were exchanged between the cats, but when the small she-cat raced down through the trees, they were right behind her, and Nettlefire was at her side.

A river of cats cascaded towards the dipping moon, led by Bubble, who seemed to be following an invisible path only she could see. Hidinglight's breath quickened and her paws felt light, running with Sparrowdawn at her side, as if she were flying; she could almost imagine the feeling of many pelts running beside hers, filling the group to the magnificence that the four Clans once were, and all of their footsteps leaving a light trail of stars in the earth.

* * *

**...**

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Paws aching, one cat after the other placed their feet on the cool stone surface. The land had long given way to rocky outcrops, clear skies, and little underbrush. Though it was still leaf-fall, the days had somehow grown unbearably hot after the many moons of their journey. Because of this, and guidance by the moon, they traveled at night, when the temperatures dropped to a more leaf-fall reminiscent temperature, leaving every cat shivering._

_Now, the tiny silver she-cat with blue-grey spots led the stream of cats forward, padding certainly despite the rise of smooth stone above and around them. Murmurs of uncertainty echoed quietly in the group of cats, but several perked up as the sound of rushing water echoed from some distant corner of the canyon. _

_They padded until the whispering of wind outside long went silent, coming to a stop as the arching walls opened up into a larger area, where the many cats spilled and collected uncertainly. The tiny she-cat stood at the base of a rock, staring intently for several long moments. "This is the place," She mewed certainly. _

_"This place?" One cat's voice rose above the rest, incredulous. Amber eyes narrowed to slits as a mostly white tom with tabby spots took in the cave that they were in. "How do you know?" A lithe tabby tom chimed in, eyes wide and uncertain. "This place is nothing like WindClan."_

_"Or ThunderClan!" Another cat piped up. _

_The tiny silver cat did not seem fazed by the protests surrounding her. Rather, in answer, she turned towards the large stone before her, gesturing with her tail. Silence fell into the cavern, and it seemed that hours passed, with all the cats holding their breath._

_Then it happened. The tiniest hole in the roof of the cavern caught the perfect angle of the moonlight, and a stream of glimmering light fell onto the stone before the silver she-cat. Almost instantly, the cavern came alive with the moonlight, lighting up the dazzling warm colors of the sweeping walls, bursting with lively shades of reds, oranges, and yellows, as if mimicking the colors of a rising sun. Gasps echoed amongst the cats, murmurs of amazement and awe. _

_One cat stepped forward among the rest, a white tom cat with uneven black stripes. "Cats of the Clans!" He announced, voice hoarse from thirst and the long journey. "StarClan has shown us that we have arrived at our new home. Our journey showed us that we are not four, but one, and I believe the prophecy and this room has made it very clear. From this moment on, we shall be known together as SunClan, for rising again after the cool, unforgiving night."_

_At that, yowls of agreement filled the stunning cavern, and for the briefest of moments, the cats swore they could feel many pelts beside their own, adding to the sound with encouraging and joyous voices of those that had been loved and lost._


	23. AUTHOR'S NOTES

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

I wanted to start off by thanking everyone who has been following this story throughout the writing process, and those who have come by to read it later, with special mentions to The MoonClanner, Random Fan's Sis, and Feathershade for frequent reviews and submitting OCs that helped to make this story what it is.

This story is the first large, creative piece of writing I've done in... years. Specifically, it's almost been ten years. Seriously. So I'm kind of proud of how far this story has come and how much fun I've had writing it.

That being said, I'm willing to acknowledge flaws and plot holes I have left in the story. I tried to keep everything covered throughout the story, but I understand I may have missed something. _This whole story is a first draft -_ I did very little editing to individual chapters other than spell checking. As a result, some things in the storyline have suffered:

* * *

**1.)** **The storyline is rushed in some places.** This is largely because I wanted the main plot (conflict introduction, tackling, and resolution) to hurry forward, and if I hadn't skipped forward, I was worried that the plot would become too drawn out. Here are some things that suffered because of it.

**a.) Looking back, I should have spent some more time on Hidingpaw's apprenticeship.** I briefly touched on her feeling inadequate and doubting her place in the Clan, but I wanted there to be more details there in regards to her character development and gradually feeling welcome in the Clan.

**b.) Likewise, when introducing the illness first to RiverClan, it was mentioned briefly a couple of times, and then after this the Clans ignored the issue** until it was their own personal problem. That was the goal - however, I should have spent more time building that up and explaining it. Any other Outside Clan affairs also were put to the wayside, and ShadowClan was portrayed as being extremely uninvolved with the other Clans, which is not the case in the canon.

**c.) Hidinglight and Sparrowdawn's relationship with Halfmoon.** It was mentioned during both characters POV many times that this relationship was a close one, and that they viewed the she-cat like a mother. However, as soon as they both found out about Halfmoon's relationship with Jaystar, the way I wrote the story made her more of a side-character, and the medicine cat's relationship with the pair seemed to end abruptly.

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**2.)** **Regarding Hidinglight's pregnancy and miscarriage** \- this was something that I had kind of planned to happen in the story, but I did little to build up to it, having both the very subtle announcement of her pregnancy and her miscarriage occurring in the same chapter. This was a very flawed mistake on my part, and it made it seem like I just threw her pregnancy in there for tragic shock value and nothing else. Maybe I did? But I didn't do a very good job of it. This is something else I should have been building up in previous chapters, and even afterwards she didn't seem to be very affected by it.

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**3.)** **Fawnspring's character** is pathetic at best in this story, and appears incredibly weak willed and two dimensional. Hopefully, the prequel will help to highlight her character as a more three dimensional, admirable cat, but unfortunately I did not do her character justice in this story.

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**4.)** **PLOT HOLES:**

**a.) This is probably one of the biggest plot holes in this story: Sparrowdawn's overall importance.** Originally, when I began this story, I had the faint idea that both Hidinglight and Sparrowdawn would become important characters for the future and fate of the Clan. Hidinglight was supposed to be the character guided by StarClan, sort of like his protector, and he was supposed to be a much more main character. However, the way I wrote this book did not end up making that the case, as, aside from rescuing Hidinglight and finding Bubble and Nettlefire, (who would have found their way back to ShadowClan anyways) He didn't really do anything significant. As a result, we have a lot of building up to Hidinglight saving Sparrowdawn and no real reason as to why. Why is Sparrowdawn so important that StarClan insists he needs to be saved, moons before the earthquake happened? Hopefully I can come up with a reason in the sequel to tie it together, but for now this will just have to be something that bugs me. Then again, her signs could also refer to her needing to save him in order for things to play out the way they did - her getting separated and finding out the source of the illness.

**b.) And the earthquake itself! **I want to kick myself for not including anything about it after that specific chapter and area. A major earthquake happens, and Pretty Girl, twolegs, and all four Clans are completely unaffected and don't even mention it. I really don't have an excuse for this other than just trying to rush the plot. I might go back and throw that in Hidinglight's chapter with Pretty Girl, but this is such a massive plot hole that I think I'd have to do much more than that to fix it.

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All of these being noted, if this were an actual book that I wanted published, or I wanted to alter the storyline overall, I would rewrite this. However, for the most part, this story accomplished what I wanted it to, and I don't believe I would change enough of it to warrant a complete rewrite.

I will try to fix what plot holes I can in the sequel, and the sequel will be at a much less rushed pace than this. The sequel will also likely be much longer; I don't have a specific idea of what major conflict they are going to face, rather ideas for several, so I'm going to try and take my time with the sequel and let the characters actually live their lives.

Thank you everyone for reading!


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